


Separate Ways

by CrimsonButterfly89



Series: Separate Ways [1]
Category: Biohazard | Resident Evil (Gameverse)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-07
Updated: 2019-06-07
Packaged: 2020-04-11 23:45:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 21
Words: 53,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19120168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrimsonButterfly89/pseuds/CrimsonButterfly89
Summary: Leon and Ada have gone their separate ways once again. But fate has found a way to bring them together again. Will they stay together, or will they be torn apart once more? Features romance, action and strong language in parts. Takes place post RE4 but features events from RE2. Pre-existing fic imported from an old profile.





	1. A Night To Forget (part 1)

**Separate Ways**

A Resident Evil fanfic by CrimsonButterfly89

* * *

**Chapter 1 – A Night to Forget (part 1)**

**_"Evil is a part of Everyone. The only thing that stops us from becoming evil is control. Therefore, evil is not a sign of power, but of weakness."_ **

Ada woke to a blinding light, closely followed by the sounds of another person's presence in the room; shallow breathing and tapping feet nervously on the floor, the squeak of an office chair swivel. The light stung her eyes and before her vision had adjusted to her surroundings, she sat up as quick as she could. It only leads to searing pain in the back of her head and on her left shoulder. She let out a soft yelp of pain and lay back down on the small, creaky cot she had been placed on. Whoever had brought her here had tried to make her as comfortable as possible. She had pillows piled under her head, her wound had been cleaned, and extra blankets lay at the bottom of the bed in case she got cold. Crude medical supplies lay on top of a metal cabinet near her feet, a potted green plant among them. She soon found out who her savior was – footsteps hurried to her side in an instant, he then crouched by her side so they were face to face.

"Welcome back!"

He definitely sounded relieved, although he tried to cover it by adding a light-hearted tone and a goofy smile. Ada tried to move again but groaned at the effort. Leon put a hand on hers, which lay on her heaving stomach in an effort to comfort her.

"Hey! Take it  _easy_ "

She was in Raccoon, she slowly recognised where he had brought her as her sore tired eyes scanned the room. – At last, they had made it to the labs. A thought that both relieved and saddened her as to what was to come next. She was in some kind of security office; her guess was that the central walkway lay just ahead. There was a single door in the far east corner, an old rusty trunk and an ancient typewriter, dozens of lockers and drawers lined the room. Opposite her was a large control desk, a few 10-inch monitors buried in them – none were working. Leon had noticed her checking the room and shuffling restlessly.

"Were in Umbrella's secret labs; I'll go find something to treat that wound. You just stay here in the meantime"

Ada knew there was no way she could leave in the next few minutes, she needed the rest. Unfortunately, time was something she didn't have, but Leon was right. If she wanted to continue her mission she had to be in the best condition she could be in, stealing a top-secret bio-weapon that could destroy humanity meant she had to be on her toes - especially in a place like this. But she had to get rid of Leon to do that.

"I…I'll only slow you down with these injuries…"

She looked into his eyes as she took a deep breath.

"Go…save yourself…"

Ada was surprised at how genuine her words had sounded, although what she was saying wasn't a complete lie. If he got involved with her he would get into trouble eventually, and she didn't think he had what it takes to survive with the extra strain she would burden him with.

_Although they had made it this far…_

Leon simply moved his hand up to her forehead, brushed the hair out of her eyes and looked at her with sympathetic affection – but he didn't budge an inch.

"I told you, it's my job to look after you."

_This one was incorrigible_

Ada was touched at how much he seemed to care for her, but she couldn't let kindness and caring stand in her way. And she couldn't bring herself to make a decision she didn't have to make if Leon was safely out of the way.

"But you'll be in  _danger_  if you stay with me."

She swallowed her pride as she continued and prepared for his reaction.

"I know I've only known you for a short period of time but, I really enjoy being with you"

For once Leon looked speechless. It was kind of touching to see the slight blush in his cheeks.

"I…"

Ada quickly cut in, now was her chance to say what she wanted, it was probably the last time she would see him face to face.

"I know I'm not capable of caring about anyone, but… I don't want to lose you."

Instead of blushing, Leon's face turned into a solid expression of determination, a bright flash of hope bloomed behind his blazing blue eyes. His brow tightened and his nose crinkled - he had made up his mind. His mission was her. His lips formed his words very carefully and purposefully.

"We're leaving this place together. Wait right here for me, I'll be right back."

As he left, he let his fingers drift along her face before settling them on the bed to steady himself as he stood. He rose to walk out the door to secure their escape route; she knew he would be traveling alone, cursing her name under his breath forever letting himself trust her. He lingered his gaze on her for a second before opening the door and rushing out of the room. If he ever returned he would find it empty. Ada lay there, counting the minutes until her strength returned to her. How was it that he was so optimistic about this? Even after all that happened to them in that last 24 hours, and could only get worse in the hours to come, he was still adamant they were escaping together without a hitch!

_Talk about foolish._

If that boy had any sense in him, he would turn around and run as fast as he could away from anything or anyone that had anything to do with Ada Wong. Still, Ada counted herself lucky that Leon S. Kennedy lacked that particular attribute.


	2. A Night to Forget (part 2)

"I know I'm not capable of caring about anyone, but… I don't want to lose you…"

Ada's soft, silky voice echoed in his head as the speeding lights flashed by the windows; colourless and blurry, contrasting the endless black. Leon had just walked into the front car of the speeding train, leaving Claire and Sherry behind in the central car. He needed a moment with just him, his thoughts and the blinking lights of the control panel as company. Besides – he had a feeling the girls needed some time (and not to mention space) to themselves. They had been through a lot in the past 24 hours or so, both physically and emotionally, and Leon needed a moment to gather his thoughts – try to make sense of the horrible nightmare that threatened his very sanity, and even his existence. Even with everything that was buzzing around his head, there was only one thing he couldn't keep at bay.

_Ada_

Her voice invaded every corner of his mind, getting into every crevice of his brain. Her silky soft skin and beautiful porcelain face haunting him, fragments of her personality, her charm and intelligence, her cool and laid back manner, her 'take no shit' attitude, her femininity and sex appeal, everything about her echoed in his mentality, driving him mad. Trying to forget about her was like trying to rid a beach of every grain of sand, or trying to stop the sky from shedding a single drop of rain when it's already pouring down.

_Why Ada?_

All of Leon's feelings of confusion, anxiety, desperation, and longing summed up perfectly in one simple question. He'd been asking himself this ever since the moment Ada pointed that gun at him. She did it with such accuracy, something she had been trained to do with unwavering professionalism. Her hand so steady, training her sights on him with such purpose – she was doing what she seemed born to do. Every fiber of her being aimed that gun between his eyes, the determination, anger, and frustration in her face only contradicted by the look of guilt in her expression. Her beautiful dark eyes clouded with regret, never breaking contact, even when her eyes swelled with tears she never blinked – letting them cloud her vision until they broke their banks and flooded down her face. The cool, calm, almost demanding tone of her voice, never breaking as she demanded he hands over the G virus.

"Don't make me shoot you"

Her normally stable, almost concrete mask had started to show its cracks, tearing at the foundations and shattering like glass. Something told Leon that it had only ever shattered for him and him alone. Right there and then, the Ada Wong that had never lived, never breathed, never loved, was born after decades of scratching at the surface. Leon spoke with conviction as he watched her tear herself apart from the inside at the thought of her objective.

"You can't do that"

She gritted her teeth at him, still keeping her gaze locked on his, her guise slowly slipping away from her as if it were her strength. She lowered her gun and let her arms fall limply by her side, her body slipping into submission. Her lip began to quiver, her face distorting at the strain of neutrality. She was gradually letting go of her determination, she had to finish the job, Leon could see that, but as she looked into his eyes as if pleading insanity for her actions, it was obvious she was struggling to keep her perspective of what she was being paid to do.

Neither of them spoke for several moments, Ada's indecisiveness freezing her on the spot, her only movements the quick rise and fall of her chest as her breaths got shorter with passing seconds, she rapidly blinked her eyes as if trying to wipe them clean of an invisible fog, clouding her ability to see him as a target, not a companion. Finally, she opened her mouth to speak when the loud crack of a 9mm echoed through the chamber, bouncing off the metallic walkway and dropping down into the darkness below. Ada stumbled forward and leaned heavily against the railing.

_Oh god, she's been shot!_

Out of the corner of his wide, unbelieving gaze, he saw a figure in a bloodstained white lab coat fall to the floor. She was muttering something about the G Virus, but Leon didn't care – He was frozen to the spot as he helplessly watched Ada struggle to keep her balance against the flimsy railings, watched her begin to topple towards the wrong side of the walkway. Before he could even spur his mind into action, he was running, pumping his arms and legs furiously, not even realising he'd muttered her name as he watched her manage to fall graciously into the abyss, her arms in an almost balletic position as she reached for him. His arm stretched out automatically before he'd even reached her longing fingers, thrusting his upper body over the railing, he just managed to clasp her injured arm by the wrist. Clinging onto her desperately, he looked into her face with bitter resolution – he had a grip on her now and he wasn't about to let go anytime soon.

His injured arm didn't agree, it was already shaking with the strain of holding onto her; she wasn't even trying to pull herself up, she was dead weight on him, succumbing to the beckon of the darkness.

"Leon…"

She sounded like she was using all her strength to summon up her words and force the sounds past her lips.

"Ada, I've got you! Don't give up!"

He tried to sound strong, positive, hoping to inspire a sense of hope for her, let her know he was determined to save her. His voice began to quiver with emotion, betraying his confidence.

"Leon…it's over…just…let me go"

The helplessness and defeat in her voice broke his heart as his mind explained to him what the look on her face couldn't: she was willing to die for him. She knew he didn't have the strength to save her with both of their injuries holding them back, and subconsciously, Leon knew even if she did survive she wouldn't allow herself to escape with him. It was clear now that Ada had made up her mind, but so had he. He set his face to stone and gritted his teeth against the pain; he pulled her up with all his might, summoning up every ounce of strength in his body. He was  _going_  to save her, whether she wanted to be saved or not. He would come through for her because he knew he needed her.

"Shut up! Your gonna make it!"

At that, she lifted her head to meet his face squarely. She looked at him with complete and honest affection. She was saying goodbye. Her seconds were ticking down and she was saying her last words to him.

_No! Don't you dare leave me like this! Not after all we've been through. Your mine and I'm not letting you go!_

His adrenaline kicked in as his heart seemed to fizz in his chest. He felt like it was going to swell and pop at the thought of losing her now. His hands were sweating and losing their grip, his other hand gripping onto the rail, his knuckles turning white at the effort of counterbalancing his own weight. His shoulder began to throb relentlessly and he felt as if it was about to be torn clean off his body. Tears began to cloud his vision and his bottom lip quivered; his face broke its stone cast and his bitter sorrow began to shine through the cracks. He stared into Ada's perfectly calm, porcelain face as she opened her mouth to speak to him one last time.

"I really wanted to escape with you Leon… escape… from everything"

Her tears dripped off her pale cheeks and she swallowed to stop herself from uttering a sob. She looked so peaceful, as if she was glad to finally be rid of her lifestyle, to be rid of every bad choice and mistake she had made in her past. If she was afraid she didn't show it one bit. Leon could clearly see she was ready for death and wanted to die with dignity, on her terms, with her own last words, and at her own efforts.

"Goodbye"

She let go of his deteriorating grip on hers in what seemed like years, every nanosecond that passed leading to building panic, anger, and dismay. Every finger that slipped out of his plucked at his heartstrings, the sensation of her touch lingering for a lifetime; her hand slid away from him as she floated gracefully into the welcoming darkness, enveloping her and shielding her from his field of vision.

"AAAAADDDAAAAAAAAA!"

His fingertips still tingled at her last touch. He stared at his hand for a second, the anger now furiously building inside him. He curled it into a fist and fell to his knees. The hard, cold metal of the walkway hurt his knees as they slammed home, throwing his balled fist against the floor.

"NO!"

_How could she do that? If she had just tried to climb up…_

Leon noticed Ada's Browning HP; glinting on the floor from the sweat and blood that stained its handle, they were the only traces of her left now. She must have dropped it when Annette shot her…for the G Virus which Leon had all along. Leon's mouth wavered as he fought back more tears, more rage, and more guilt. He let out a sob but swallowed quickly to prevent from letting himself get dragged under the wave of emptiness that washed over him. He felt the tube that contained the G Virus burning a hole in his pocket.

"So,  _this_  is what everyone's been dying for"

Leon couldn't stand to carry the thing on him any longer – he hurled the vial over the railings, sending it down after Ada, hoping it would share the same fate. He walked over to Ada's gun; he could at least take it with him. The barrel was surprisingly cold and the chamber felt lighter than it should be. Leon hit the release button and ejected the mag... It was empty. Ada had never intended to shoot him after all; she must have known even then that she couldn't bring herself to go through with it. Guilt and longing seemed to weave its way through his mind and soul, like twisting a knife into an already gaping wound; she had known she wouldn't make it out unless she was escaping with him, and she couldn't let herself do even that – she would have to kill him as soon as they reached the city limits. She had sacrificed herself so he could escape. He wasn't about to let her selfless deed go in vain – he was going to escape: not for him, but for Ada.

He brought his first two fingers up to his mouth and kissed them, pressing the tips to the handle of her gun. He laid it gently to rest on the ground and stood up, glancing down at the fingerprints he'd left on the warm steel. It was his way of saying thank you and goodbye. A female voice suddenly sounded over speakers hidden somewhere in the vast emptiness of the chamber.

"The self destruct sequence has been activated. This sequence may not be aborted. All employees retreat to the emergency car on the bottom platform."

The robotic voice echoed around the room, only masked by the sound of a bleating alarm. This is it. Leon was getting on that train, one way or another. Wiping the traces of his tears off his face, he drew his VP70 from its holster and ran for the door, pumping his arms with solid determination. His shoulder hurt like crazy, but he kept on running through the pain.

Back in the front car of the train, Leon rubbed a hand over his bullet wound. It was most likely going to scar, but he didn't care. He wanted it to scar. Because when he got out of here, he could proudly say that he had taken that bullet for her.

Looking back on everything that had happened to him, he couldn't help but wonder how he had survived this long. One thing that he knew was that he was glad that he had. A huge rumble shook the train, as a familiar voice sounded over the speaker system.

"Warning! Warning! Biohazard contamination!"

_Oh shit_

"Leon! Come quick!"

Claire's voice sounded panicky – he knew something bad was coming their way. Guess there was one more thing he had to take care of before he could put an end to the nightmare he had just endured. Once again, he pulled his custom VP70 from its home and reloaded the magazine; holding the old friend parallel to his face, he had only one thought in his mind. The silhouette of a woman in red. She had saved his life once again, and now he was going to repay her. With interest.


	3. Sentimental Value

She had a gun. That bitch had a gun. And she was firing at her.

**Ping! Ping!**

Two bullets had miraculously missed as Ada stood at the T-Bend, frozen by her own stupidity. She had a shot at catching and questioning Birkin's wife, but she turned and ran as soon as she caught sight of Ada and Leon coming down in the lift.

_She's gonna fire again! Move Ada! NOW!_

She shifted her weight to her left as she prepared to dive, but it was too late, the last thing she saw was the flash from the barrel of the Beretta, sending a 9mm tattoo towards her forehead. But something happened – she was moving, soaring through the air along with a flash of blue.

"Ada! Heads up—UHH!"

Leon cried a deep yelp of surprise as his weight thrusts the both of you through the air, landing with a loud thud on the titanium floor. His upper half was covering her, shielding her protectively; his legs stretched out behind him and his head buried in your shoulder. Gently, she slides out from under him, checking him over with quick precision. The door at the end of the corridor slams shut.

"Leon…."

_He took a bullet for me. Either he's totally stupid, or I'm letting him get too close._

Blood begins to seep from his wound, covering his left shoulder, making it hard to see the exit wound. Crimson liquid begins to pool around her knees as she kneels beside him. His hair is tangled and sweaty as it lies over his face, she brushes it out of the way delicately, her bloodstained fingertips lingering a second longer than they should. Ada had never noticed before, but from this angle, the light made his coppery brown hair shine with tints of red.

_I knew he had it in him somewhere._

Blood is now seeping into her dress, staining it a deeper shade of red; his eyes are closed and his chest isn't moving.

_Oh please no, he's going to be alright, tell me he's going to be alright!_

Ada leans over and checks his pulse, but she can't feel anything. She puts her hands on both sides of his face, he was drained of colour and his lips were turning blue.

_Come on Leon! Not like this!_

She pushes her hair behind her ears as she listens to his chest, praying for a heartbeat. But she hears nothing. An overwhelming panic rises in her throat as she buries her forehead in his chest, tears making tracks in the dirt and blood that covered her face.

_Goddamn it! You can't be dead! Why did you do that for me? I didn't ask you to throw your life away! You stupid cop, you always have to play the hero! That goddamn bullet was meant for ME!_

Ada buried her face in his chest even further, feeling the flow of blood come to a gradual stop. Everything suddenly seems so dark, so empty; the only sounds are the echoing sobs that she can't hold back, growing and becoming distorted, like her voice was being amplified inside her head a hundred times.

" _Leeeoooonnnn!"_

She bolts upright with the shock of being back, in reality, her clothes are drenched in a cold sweat. The window was open and the chill of the night air was like a slap to the face. Her eyes are still shut, but she can feel the atmosphere of the tiny room, the lumps in the mattress, and the quivering of her body from the awful nightmare more than the chill on the room. She opened her eyes slowly, taking a deep breath to calm herself down. It was a nightmare she had had many times before, but her reaction to it was always the same. It was going on 7 years now, and still, she hadn't slept the same since that horrible night in Raccoon.

Ada hated being cold. She climbed cautiously out of bed and walked over to the window, trying not to cross directly in front of it. Something about the room, the way it was, had made her nervous that night. Something she couldn't explain couldn't put her finger on. She never leaves the window open while she sleeps; it was an opportunity she didn't like to give to strangers. What's more unnerving was that the pencil she laid by the edge of the door had moved. Not by much, but it had moved all the same. Everywhere she went; Ada always took measures to ensure she had her privacy. She was not one for being disturbed. Somebody had tried to open her door, and by the looks of it they must have known what they were doing, there was no trace of it being forced or the lock picked. Either that or she was thinking too much again, she had probably forgotten to close the window properly and the breeze had blown the pencil a few centimeters from its mark. Ada was beginning to wonder if she was getting paranoid. Even though that wasn't exactly a bad thing in her line of work – just as long it was in healthy doses.

She walked quietly over to the bathroom, grabbing a few sips of water from the sink and splashing her face. How long could she keep dreaming like this? They were getting more frequent since she got back from Spain, and she hated them with a passion: mainly because she couldn't control them. And she couldn't control him either. He flickered in and out of her mind like a faulty light bulb, and every time it glowed she flew into it like a moth to the flame. Or rather a butterfly. She saw him so frequently in her head, whether awake or dreaming, she could swear he was stalking her thoughts. He had invaded her mind and she didn't like that he knew it. She had gathered that much in Spain when she had saved him from Krauser. Of course, she didn't mean to show it, but Leon had a way of reading her when she was deliberately giving him no reading material.

She wandered over to her bed again, feeling the pull of her drowsiness lure her to the somewhat comfortable confines of the bed. The light bulb was glowing again, and she could feel it getting hotter. She crawled under the covers, letting all thoughts drift from her head. She had made sure that the memories of Leon, Raccoon, and Spain were buried deep in her mind, never to occur unless she wanted them to, but for some reason, they had a way of fighting to the surface when she least expected it. She had done it before, and it had always worked for her, but she underestimated the hold that one man could have over her subconscious.

She slides herself under the think duvet, wrapping it around her like a cocoon. She hoped it would keep her warm and safe…safe from Leon. At least in her mind, in reality, she knew she could handle him. She always knew just what buttons to press. Nevertheless, as soon as she closed her eyes, the image of crimson blood soaking her dress flashed through her mind once again. Ada quickly flicked them open, the glow of the light bulb dimming as she forced it from her mind. She stares at a particular spot on her tiny wardrobe. She knew what lay behind that spot, and she knew all too well the memories it held for her. The same red dress she had worn on the night or Raccoon; the dress she had loved, died, and been reborn in, hung at the very back of her wardrobe, on the oldest hanger she had. It was torn, dirty, bloody, ripped and stained, but it was more useful to her than any other thing she took with her.

Possessions weren't exactly Ada's thing; she liked to travel light and only brought a few objects of deep sentimental value. If she hadn't lost it, the photo she used to carry off her and John would be with them. They served as reminders for her, not necessarily of happy times, but of what she couldn't let herself forget. That dress stood for all the sacrifices you had made that night, the blood sweat and tears you had shed, and the trials and tribulations you had endured to get as far as you had come all these years later. It would be fair to say that dress is a part of her, something she can't let go, but it would be more fitting if she said that dress  _was_  her. It was worn out and full or rips and holes that hadn't been sewn up, it was dirty and filled with stains and dark patches of her life, but it was her nonetheless. And she looked damn good in it too. Hell, if she could she would still wear it.

"Shame, I liked that dress"

Ada dared to close her eyes, and she gently drifted off into the world that she both feared and relished. But as she did, she realised that like her dress, Leon was worth something to her, and  _that_  was worth holding onto.


	4. Scars and Souvenirs

Leon awoke with a start. He slowly recognised his surroundings; the small space, the smell of gas, the hum of the engine, the gentle vibration that had lulled him to sleep in the first place.

"Leon, are you okay?"

It was Ashley. He was in the back seat of a car, with two agents from the CIA in the front. They had retrieved him from the rescue chopper and were driving him and Ashley to a safe hotel for the night. They were still in Spain, but thankfully nowhere near  _that_  village. They were a few miles south of Madrid; the agents – Johnston and Brown – would escort them to Madrid's bust airport in the morning, where they would catch a flight back to the good old US of A. Home. Leon couldn't wait. But for now, he had to endure one more night away from his cosy apartment, his friends, his dog, and his favourite bar down the street.

_God willing, somebody will buy me a drink for all this._

"Yeah, I'm fine Ash, just a bad dream."

She looked at him worryingly for a second, before blinking and resting her head on her sweater, which had been draped over her shoulders before she'd propped it against the window for a pillow. Leon sat up, his neck hurting a little from leaning too heavily on the window. He had a funny little tingly feeling on the right side of his face and on his right elbow where he'd leaned against the door. He looked in the rear-view mirror; agent Brown was driving, he could see the tired concentration in the guy's eyes. Agent Johnston was looking out the side of his passenger window. He hadn't recognised either of them when they stepped out of the chopper, even if they did both look pretty much the same, but Leon just figured they were either from a different department that he had yet to set foot in, or they were newbies to one he had. They both looked in their mid-thirties, although Brown looked a little older.

The car came to a gentle stop in a hotel parking lot, and he and Ashley each stepped out their respective sides. The two agents remained in their front seats, talking under their breath.

"Hey, amigo's, come join the party already!"

The two men simply looked at Leon in unison and gave him a steely look. Leon could have sworn he was back in the village being dropped off by the two Spanish cops; they almost looked down on him – they probably thought he was crazy. Leon shrugged and turned to walk up the short driveway towards the hotel reception. Ashley followed.

"Jerks"

Leon smiled a little. It was a pretty good word to use. Brown and Johnston caught up with them and they stepped inside in silence. An overly preppy receptionist greeted them with a smile much too big for his face, especially considering it was 3 am.

"Welcome to the hotel Magnifico!"

_Oh, this just gets better and better._

* * *

Leon made his way over to the bed in the corner of the room. He fell onto it, his legs dangling over the end, arms above his head. He was sweating, bruised, battered, and completely exhausted. The amount of shit he had to endure in the last few days was unreal; it was a wonder he wasn't six feet under by now.

_Guess I'm a lucky guy._

The emergency medic had treated him in the helicopter, patching up his many cuts and abrasions, put a big bandage around the gaping wound in his right leg, (although that was arguably deserved) strapped up his ribs, and made him sit holding a huge ice pack to the growing lump on his head. He had been thrown around like a rag doll, not to mention being knocked on his ass from many explosions. He wondered whether his head would ever get back to its normal shape, as he brought a hand up to his dirt covered face and traced the line of the cut on his right cheek. It had healed over almost straight away and didn't need stitches, but it would certainly leave a nice scar.

_Thanks, Krauser._

The ordeal had been tough, but at least he only walked away from it with a two-inch scar on his cheek. Not something that can be said for Krauser; he wasn't getting any more scars where he was - although Leon had wondered where he got the large disfigurement across his face. It looked old, maybe two years old… He didn't have it when they were working on the same side… but how could he survive a car crash like that? Leon never actually seen him in the car when it blew, but it would have taken a hell of a long time to make his way out of that wreck. Surely he had some help getting out of there alive, or he wasn't actually there in the first place. Why would he fake his death? Did he somehow know about Spain ahead of time? Or maybe someone got to him long before that.  _Someone_. Leon didn't know what happened, and he wasn't about to find out tonight, so he decided to let it drop – for now.

_Anyway, all I care about right now is a hot shower and a good night's sleep._

He noticed the little white bear smiling cutely at him from the bedside table. He had decided to keep it secret from the CIA for the time being. It was his little souvenir from Ada.

_Well, you helped me and Ashley escape from that island, I think you deserve a name for that._

Leon knew it was a little geeky, but he had already thought of a name for it.

_Hannah_.

He picked up the tiny bear and smiled. "Well Hannah, when we get home tomorrow, I'll buy you a drink." He tickled the fur on the little bear's tummy before setting it down neatly on his dresser. Leon yawned and decided he'd better take that shower before the all the hot water ran out, or he fell asleep standing up. Leon walked to the bathroom and switched the hot water on, taking off his shirt in stages – his shoulders were sore and the muscles were beginning to stiffen. He undressed and wrapped a towel around his waist, walking back into the room and hanging his dirty wet clothes on the back of the chair. He had been given some clean clothes to wear by Johnston; he tossed them lazily on the dresser top that the chair was tucked under, and stepped into the shower.

The morning air was cool and bitter, her ears were going numb and her cheeks and nose began to turn pink. The hotel was close, less than a quarter mile away, but she wished she could be closer. The dark sky was expansive and deep, a few tiny starts still winking at her from their perches. The trees surrounding her wavered slightly in the wind. The child's tree house she sat in smelt of pine and burning wood. It was such a peaceful night, and she was so comfortable sitting in the corner, staring out the window towards the hotel, her laptop balanced on her crossed legs. But she knew she had to move. Her window of opportunity was approaching, and she couldn't let him down. She listened intently through her earpiece and stared at her screen. She watched his every move, and waited, silently for the chance to make hers. This was it; she only had a small amount of time, ten, maybe fifteen minutes. She had to go unnoticed and be untraceable. Nobody could know it was her, except for him. He muttered a few last words before leaving the room; she folded her laptop and jumped gracefully out of the window. Perched carefully on a thick tree branch, she whispered into the night air before descending to the soft earthy ground.

"Hannah, how sweet of him."

The hot water felt like a river of relief for his cold aching body. The water drops kissed his skin and scorched the layer of filth that covered him until it ran down his body and escaped down the plughole. Leon felt refreshed, calm and relaxed. It was the most soothing thing he had experienced in days. He found it amazing how the smallest things can sometimes make the biggest differences. He could have been in a spa, all his thoughts began ebbing away from him, evaporating in the steam that began to fill the tiny bathroom. Leon leaned his head against the tiled wall and steadied himself with his hands. He let the water caress his dirty blonde hair and cling to his face. He felt his imagination wander, but he was powerless to stop it.

The world turned black and white. Her beautiful pink bow lips haunted him as they mouthed his name, the memory of her clear in his mind, flickering like an old home movie.

"Leon…long time no see."

Her ebony black hair flicked of her face as she removed her tinted shades; holding them in between her thumb and index finger, she twirled them subtly while staring at him like a cat wanting to scratch at its favourite toy. It was obvious she was flirting with him. She looked gorgeous and Leon was glad to see her, and she knew it.

_Well, if she thinks I'm that easy, I might have to make it harder for her._

"Ada, so it is true."

"True? About what?"

She was playing dumb, trying to make him think she was the submissive one. She was being obvious too, her head was cocked to one side, and a sarcastic tone had layered her voice; she even batted her eyelashes at him. She wasn't making this easy, but he decided to play along for a second – he was curious what her response would be. After all, she had one for everything.

"You, working with Wesker."

She stopped twirling her sunglasses then, slipping ever so slightly out of the innocent expression she wore on her face. Leon hardened his stance, though she wasn't after anymore play fighting – not after he had disarmed her earlier. She remained silent for a second, he had caught her off-guard, she had to think of something to say.

"I see you've been doing your homework."

_Stop avoiding the question damn it, surely you owe me an explanation after all these years._

He began to grow frustrated with her and clenched his jaw slightly to show it. He wanted answers, and sooner or later he was going to get them from her. Feelings or no feelings.

"Why, Ada?"

He let the disappointment show in his face; he raised his eyebrows and gave a kind of puppy dog look with his eyes. Pointless, though – he knew it wouldn't have much chance of affecting her. She probably didn't care for him anymore, even if she had done six years ago. It wouldn't have been to Wesker's liking. At that moment, he could have sworn he seen a slight fluctuation of her brow, lifting her eyes to him as if she had realised she lost some of his respect. By the looks of it, she didn't like that. She simply turned her head bashfully, putting on a nice little show for him, yet still risking a glance back to see if he was still watching her. She gained her composure back quickly, losing her playfulness and putting up that sarcastic barrier she usually used as a defense.

"What's it to you?"

"Why are you here? Why just show up like this?"

He was being forward with her now. But she had slipped back into that playful façade of hers, flicking her head to the side and emitting a loud "Huh" as if shrugging of the question. She never let anything concrete show through – except for that look, the look of guilt and shame, realisation that she had let him down. He hadn't expected that of her. Maybe she did, deep down, have some expectations of what he thought of her. She wanted him to worship her, to tag along like a good little boy, but he wasn't playing her game, not the way she wanted him to.

His thoughts soon vanished in a flash, literally – Ada's glasses exploded in a puff of smoke and a flash of bright light. How clever of her. Leon's eyes adjusted to the fading light as he caught sight of her diving for her Blacktail, and effortlessly rolling to her feet. She turned toward him for one last look, a tiny smirk on her face that she got the last laugh.

"See you around."

"Ada!" …She had leaped out of the window without looking back, leaving only settling smoke and a trace of perfume. And a hell of a lot of questions. Ada had yet again fluttered into his life, leaving a trail of imaginary clues to follow in order o solve the enigma that is Ada Wong. She may be trouble, but Leon had to admit, at the very least, the woman had style.


	5. A Close Encounter

A smile formed on Leon's tired, drooping face as he stopped the shower and let the hot water run off him. Nice hot showers usually refreshed and revitalised him; he groped for his towel and wrapped it around his waist, feeling refreshed and clean, but hardly revitalised. Leon was beat; he felt heavy and stiff, and he could feel his concentration slipping away from him as his mind wandered back into that almost dream-like state. He stepped out of the shower and closed the peephole of a window – he could feel the chill of the evening air settling on his damp skin. He decided Pneumonia was the last thing he needed right about now. It was only October, but already it felt like winter – something slightly unusual for this country. Still, he preferred the weather in this town compared to what it was like in the Pueblo – a permanent chill seemed to follow him around. Everywhere he went he got goosebumps, every new door or window he climbed through was like wading through icy cold water, warning him that he didn't belong there. He hated that place and just thinking about the numbness hitting his bare arms and face made him shiver. Of course, it wouldn't have been so bad if he hadn't had his best jacket stolen so early in his mission – he would have to bill somebody for that, it was like having a duvet wrapped around him.

Speaking of which, Leon couldn't wait to slip under his. His eyes were getting heavier by the second and he desperately needed the sleep – if only for the nightmares that he believed would inevitably catch up to him. He dreamt of that place so much that he figured a part of him never left it. Leon had always philosophised that when he escaped that place, that part of him that wanted to stay behind – for reasons he remembered all too well – had actually defied him and done so of its own free will. At least that's what he  _used_  to think until he found out that that reason for staying behind had escaped as well. He honestly didn't know how to react to that at first – when she showed up in Spain it had certainly been a surprise, but he had heard rumours that she was still alive and even researched the possibility himself. He practically obsessed over her for months, typing her name into every database and archive he could find, searching through any file or record that even mentioned a possible identity she could have assumed. But seeing her in the flesh had taken the biscuit. God knows he had dreamt of her enough in the six years that preceded that day, but after his encounter with the living breathing version of Ada Wong that took his breath away, he knew from that moment he could think about nothing else – and no-one else for that matter.

God knows he dreamt enough about her before she stormed her way back into his life, he dreamt so vividly of one moment in particular, and he had done in Spain, the moment he thought she was lost forever and was forced to put her to the back of his mind. Something about that mission had made him think of her again, and now he knew why. He couldn't escape the memory of that night – or of her. He was woken up from that same dream tied to Luis, who then questioned him about Racoon, making the memories seem even more real, being actually asked about them in reality for the first time in years.

_Nice of him to ask._

Honestly, sleep was the last thing on his mind. He made his way over to his pile of clothes thrown sloppily about his dresser top. He had a pair of fresh boxers at least, although they hadn't managed to find him a shirt in his size, so he'd simply washed his black shirt and left it to dry in the bathroom. It was a bit torn, but otherwise, it would do for the trip to the airport in the morning. They did, however, find him possibly the most comfortable pair of jogging bottoms he'd ever worn. They were grey and about two sizes too big for him, but they were freshly laundered and soft to the touch; they were long and baggy on his legs, reaching all the way down to his feet, hugging his toes.

He wandered hazily over to the bed, sitting on the soft duvet and resting his head against the headboard. His hair was still damp and clung to his face. He brushed it out of his eyes, and as he did he noticed something. The key to the jet ski sat on his side table, Hannah the bear still staring cutely up at him; but there was a small, white sheet of paper stuck underneath her. He carefully unfolded it and read the message. It was in black ink, and he recognised the handwriting immediately, he'd seen the loops and curves of this calligraphy before – in Spain.

_**I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you're no longer safe here.** _

_**A certain someone has found out where you're staying and has sent some uninvited guests to give you one hell of a welcome.** _

_**I suggest you greet them accordingly.** _

_**And take good care of Hannah, she could come in handy.** _

_**Good luck, handsome.** _

The letter wasn't signed, but a large imprint of red bow lips sealed the somewhat melancholic message rather stylishly. Leon simply smiled and thanked his butterfly for looking out for him. He owed her one. He looked around the room and felt slightly unnerved at the fact that she had been in here without him knowing. Had she been watching him for a long time? How long? And why didn't she just tell him face to face? Why was she even telling him this anyway? Most of all – how did he know she wasn't setting him up? At this moment, only she knew the answers, and Leon wasn't about to take any risks. The last time he trusted her it ended up with her pointing a gun to his head yet again, and Leon looking like a fool. He decided, however, that he had no choice but to trust her on this one. All of their lives were possibly in danger and Leon couldn't sit back and do nothing about it.

Suddenly, a thought struck him – the CIA agents had his weapons. He had most of his arsenal confiscated once he'd escaped the island of course, but he owned the combat knife and handgun which the agents had conveniently "held" for him. Who would have thought he'd need them in a cheap Spanish hotel after all.

Leon moved slowly towards the door, he was feeling slightly nervous at the thought of a team of hit men breaking down his door. He walked as quietly as possible, peering outside his door. The corridor was empty; Leon moved outside his door, creeping down the dimly lit corridor and hoping that the agents still had his weapons. He was going to need them.

* * *

A small white van sped off down the dusty road outside the Hotel Magnifico. This was where the mark was staying, and by the look of the dusty old building, he had very bad taste. From the info gathered at the briefing, the mark was known as one Leon Scott Kennedy. He was a CIA agent working for the government – a real goody two shoes according to their superior. One of them fights for justice and freedom hero wannabes. Pathetic.

The whole operation should only take about 20 minutes, once they were inside, a basic in and out procedure. The team would storm through the lobby and take out any staff still awake as they made their way up to the second floor. The mark and his escorts were the only guests at the tiny Spanish Inn, so there was no need to worry about witnesses or noise detection. Of course, once they had taken out Kennedy, they were to bring back the former hostage now in his company, the president's daughter, for negotiations with the Whitehouse via umbrella. Of course, it didn't matter whether she was dead or alive, as long as they could claim her as Umbrella property, everything could run smoothly. The team simply had to take out the escorts in rooms 2 and 3, take out the mark in room 4, earning them a nice chunk of cash, and then retrieve the hostage in room 5. Even more money for the spending.

The operative codenamed Snake took a deep breath as he called his team over to him. He couldn't help but let a smile spread across his face as they obediently fell into position. He loved the feeling of power it gave him, the fact that he could tell them to jump and they would have no choice but to ask how high. Still, he respected his teammates for what they were; damn good agents.

"Alright, let's get this show on the road!" His team nodded in agreement as they listened intently to their captain.

"Fox, you take point with me, Raven, you and Wolf are covering. We've got Butterfly on lookout and communication with her is crucial. Remember to radio your positions on a regular basis if separation becomes an issue. We follow my command.

"Let's move out".

* * *

Leon was heading for the room next door. He wanted to get Ashley to safety before heading to agent Johnston's room. He'd check he had his weapons; if not, he'd take them both into room 2 and secure positions in there with agent Brown. By the sounds of things, he was going to need backup.

He reached Ashley's room and quietly opened the door. He stepped inside the room and took a quick scan; the room was dark and empty. He found the light switch on the wall and flipped it on. She had to be in here somewhere, maybe she was just asleep.

"Ashley…" Whispering her name, he stepped into the room and carefully shut the door behind him.

"Leon?" She yelped his name in surprise from somewhere behind him. He spun round to face her. Even in a situation like this, he couldn't hold back his laughter at the sight of her: she was stood behind the door holding a coat hanger in both her hands, standing in a sort of Karate ready stance; her hair was messed up and tufts of it were poking out of a loosely tied bobble. She squinted at him with one eye closed and the other barely open, her face a look of utter bewilderment. She was wearing a T-shirt about 3 sizes too big for her, making her look like she'd been hit by a shrink ray.

"What are you doing here? You scared me half to death!"

Leon chuckled at her ridiculous appearance. "Were you gonna attack me… with a coat hanger?"

"Hey! If I swung this at you I could have your eye out! What's going on anyway? I'm too tired to mess around at this time of the…"

"No time to explain, I need to get you to a safe place…looks like we've got company."

Ashley dropped her makeshift weapon as her mouth fell open. "You're Kidding me right?"

"Wish I was. Come on, we're going next door so we can…"

Before he could finish his sentence, Leon was cut off by a sound that can only mean one thing – he'd just ran out of time.

* * *

BANG!

Agent Nathan Johnston jumped so high he almost hit the ceiling. He shot a glance in the direction of the sound, just long enough to notice the man dressed in black kicking down his door. Acting instantly, Nathan rolled off the right-hand side of his bed, grabbing his firearm that was hanging in its holster from the bedpost. He rolled again so that he was safely under the cover of his bed. He pointed his 9mm at the door, but the man in black was gone. He heard a creak above him, the guy was standing right above him, and Nathan noticed another pair of black boots by the foot of the bed. There was more than one. He heard a click coming from above him, and Nathan knew what was coming next. He aimed his semi roughly above him and squeezed the trigger, hoping if he fired enough bullets he might hit one of them.

_Click_

"Oh, shit"

He'd left the safety on. Before he even had a chance to fumble for the safety switch, Nathan's life seemed to flash before his eyes; his fiancée Rachael, his Mom and Dad, His two younger brothers and older sister, His dog of 12 years, his training days at the academy, his college years, his high school graduation, all his friends at his 10 year reunion, his next-door neighbours and his drinking pals from work, his first memory at 5 years old, opening presents, his first kiss, the moment he got accepted as a CIA agent, the moment Rachael said she would spend the rest of her life with him…it all passed before his in one brilliant flash of light, and sound seemed to return to him for his last moments. The very last thing Nathan Johnston heard was his partner next door, screaming and falling to the floor with a muffled thump as residual gunshots filtered through the thin walls. Then everything went dark, and Nathan Johnston felt no more.

* * *

Leon stood frozen to the spot as he heard the final gunshots echo and fade away. He knew they were dead. They were dead and those bastards were coming after him and Ashley. Leon felt like he'd just shit a brick.

"Leon, what do we do?" Ashley removed her hand from over her mouth to whisper to him. It rang out in the empty silence like a church bell. She sounded petrified.

"Leon?"

_Oh god, I have to do something. Come on! Snap out of it! Get moving or your both gonna end up the same as them!_

"Ashley, everything's gonna be okay, I want you to stay calm and go lock yourself in the bathroom while I sort this out, and don't come out until I say so."

"But Leon, what about…"

"DON'T worry about me. I'm here to protect you. Now get going before…"

BANG!

Everything slowed to a crawl, time was slowing down for him, making him feel every moment, every heart-wrenching second that passed. They were here.

* * *

"Go!"

He raised his voice just above a whisper. She knew he meant business, and that there was nothing she could do to help. In other words, she would only get in the way. She reluctantly ran into the bathroom and locked the door behind her. Leon pushed a chair in front of the door to make sure she was safe and secure in there. Whoever these guys were, Leon was ready for them…

"Okay team, this is it – no mercy!"

The man codenamed Snake got into position as he gave the signal to his team to move out. The agents had been easy, but their mark wasn't to be given any chances. According to his training record, Kennedy's skills were formidable, but nothing their team couldn't handle if they pulled together. This was it. The man codenamed fox brought his boot up, and brought it down on the door with an almighty crash, swinging the door almost off its hinges. The two-point men went in first, pointing their silenced weapons in every corner of the room. Working in two by two formations, they searched the room and came up empty-handed.

"Fox, go check the bathroom, this guy's gotta be in here somewhere."

Fox moved over to the door and kicked it down, pointing his weapon in front of him for a few seconds before turning back to Snake and shaking his head.

"Damn It"

Snake thought for a moment where he could be.

_The hostage_.

"Let's go after the girl, he's bound to be in there, if not, we grab the girl and search every goddamn room in this place."

Fox rejoined them and the team got into formation once more.

"Let's go!"


	6. Dying Hard

Leon was on his own again. Fighting for his life - and the president's daughter.

_Good job this never gets old._

Leon didn't have a weapon; he would have to improvise. The room was deathly quiet. The room was brightly lit; he needed some kind of cover. Remembering his encounter with Ashley a few minutes ago, he formed a plan in his head.

_God, I hope this works._

Leon switched off the lights and hid behind the door. He strained to hear the approaching footsteps of the men that were coming for him. He waited patiently, holding his breath as the seconds ticked by, waiting…waiting…

BANG!

The door flew open and two men entered, one slightly ahead of the other.

_Perfect._

Leon acted immediately; he rolled across the wall, slamming the door in the second guy's face with as much force as he could manage, as the first guy spun round to face him, but Leon was ready for him. Still spinning, he brought his leg up in a backward roundhouse, hitting the guy full in the face. He stumbled backward, bringing his hands up to his face. Leon took full advantage and charged towards him, sending him flying with a back kick. The second guy came crashing into the room again, but before any more of them could follow, (it looked like there was about four or five out there) Leon sent a cross uppercut his way, jabbing the heel of his hand onto the bridge of the guy's nose. Bringing his other arm downwards towards his weapon, Leon disarmed him and performed a backward spin to give him distance. Leon fired the silenced and modified TMP at the door, peppering the walls and inside of the door with bullets. The TMP usually held around 30 bullets, but these were modified with a smaller barrel and larger clip capacity, meaning it could have held anywhere between 50 and 250 bullets. Leon prayed for his own sake that they didn't bring too much ammunition.

Leon slammed the door shut, turning to face the first guy, who was just finding his balance again.

"Hands up!"

He just stood there.

"I said hands up, you bastard!"

The commando stood in a fighting stance, his arm slowly reaching for a knife holster on his leg – he had another weapon.

"Your gonna have to kill me first!"

He pulled a large combat knife out of its holster, which he then threw in the direction of Leon's head. Leon ducked the knife as it stuck into the wall inches above his head; he fired without hesitation – 10 bullets, most of which burying themselves in his chest and abdominal area, the rest going stray. The commando fell to the floor and didn't move.

"Welcome to the party pal."

At that moment, bullets flew through the door, battering the wood and sending splinters flying everywhere. Leon crumpled to the floor as fast as he could, narrowly avoiding the barrage of hot metal that was now burying itself in the back wall of the room. A few of the bullets had come remarkably close to the bathroom door. Leon hoped Ashley was still okay. There were three of the bastards left, he needed to think, there was no way he was getting out of there unless he could separate them, take them out individually.

Before Leon could blink, a blue canister came tumbling through the fresh hole in his door, rolling along the floor; it was quickly followed by another.

_Shit_

Flash grenades. Leon buried his face in his arms, turning and spinning into a crouch to shield him from the blinding flash that followed. Smoke began to fill the room, making it hard for Leon to see clearly. He held his breath, moving as quickly as he could, he picked up his weapon and dived for relative safety under the bed. The smoke burned his nose and throat and made his eyes water and the urge to cough and sneeze wildly became irrepressible. He ejected the clip in his new weapon, and found that he had a little bit of luck on his side… the clip was about two thirds empty, by the looks of it there were roughly 15 bullets left, meaning the three assholes only had a maximum of 50 bullets apiece, and even some of that had to have gone towards the two agents. He felt a stab of remorse in his gut, he couldn't save them; he couldn't even warn them. But he could save Ashley.

A loud crash interrupted his thoughts, as one of the commandos entered the room.

_Who are these guys? The smoke hasn't even cleared yet and there's no way they could have sent him in by himself. This guy's acting out of sheer anger._

He recognised the signs of panic and rage in his twitchy movements and clumsy aim of his gun. Leon took advantage of his sudden attack of emotion and pulled the trigger, the gun popping roughly 10 times, hitting the man in black in the ankles. He fell to the floor screaming in pain, quickly falling silent as he passed out from the shock of his wounds and blood loss. Two down, two to go.

The smoke was beginning to clear now, the two remaining commandos would surely be on top of him in a matter of seconds – Leon had to think, he was running out of ammo and he needed a way to take them by surprise.

_Think Leon, Think!_

Crouching under the bed, he poked his head out from under the duvet; the mirror from the dresser had fallen to the floor and had split down the middle, Leon could see his reflection in it. He looked pale and sweaty, his face was slightly dirty and he could see spots of blood mingling in his blonde hair. He felt a sudden chill; warm beads of sweat were cooling as they fell down his bare chest, making his skin sticky.

_Still, better than being caught with your pants down._

A light bulb seemed to click on in Leon's head, he had an idea – it was risky – but it was his best shot. Leon fired the last of his rounds into the mirror, smashing it into little pieces all over the floor. He rolled out from under the bed, efficiently smashing the rest of the pieces with the butt of his empty gun. He emptied one of the pillow covers of its pillow and gathered the glass shards. He emptied the sack in a neat pile just underneath the empty wardrobe door. He'd seen this trick done on one of his favourite films. He grabbed the unconscious guy's gun from the floor; he had about 20 bullets left. Hopefully, it would be enough to get him out of this room alive.

The man codenamed Snake was still alive. By the sounds of what had been going on from outside the room, Fox was dead and a few seconds ago, Raven had joined him. Snake and Wolf simply stood in the dimly lit corridor, trying to formulate a plan. Raven had gone in of his own accord, much to the objection of his teammates. He was an arrogant son of a bitch, but Raven and Fox had been especially close. Just as Fox was with himself. They were like brothers. From the look Wolf was now giving him, he blamed him for letting Raven charge in blindly. Snake could do nothing to stop him short of going in there himself to pull him back. But the smoke was clearing and they were running out of options.

"Okay, here's the plan; we go on my count and charge in with a simultaneous attack, shoot without hesitation, aim at anything that moves and squeeze the trigger, got it?"

Wolf nodded in agreement. Snake held up 3 fingers, then 2, then 1 and they both brought their boots down on the battered door, sending it flying off its worn hinges. The room was seemingly empty, although Snake had to stop himself from spraying his entire stash of ammo across the room in frustration. Fox lay on the floor in a pool of his own blood, and several circular holes decorated his torso like rubies.

_Goddamn Son of a Bitch_!

Raven was close by, his legs swimming in a sea of crimson. The only other sign of disturbance was the pile of broken glass spread neatly by the wardrobe door. Snake had a sudden urge to laugh maniacally. They had him. He'd seen this trick done before, where you spread glass on the floor so you can hear intruders approaching when they step on it. He's hiding in there and when we go over to investigate he's gonna jump out and surprise us. Wolf had obviously been struck with the same idea, and they exchanged a glance of triumph before creeping over to the wardrobe.

"Fire!"

They fired a hail of bullets into the wood, sending splinters and shell casings flying through the air in a rainbow of debris. They stopped firing, and in that second, Leon out his plan into action. He rolled out from under the bed, firing as he went, using up his entire clip but keeping his momentum going, never stopping until he finally slammed against the dresser on the opposite wall. He kept his finger tightly squeezed on the trigger until he heard the resounding click of an empty clip.

Leon glanced over at the spot where the men were: they were both on the floor, unmoving and still. Leon stood up very carefully; he dusted himself off and tiptoed over the glass, being very aware of his bare feet. The guy on the right looked to be the leader of the team, the one that Leon hit in the face with the door – he was laid on his back and Leon noticed his nose sitting at a rather unusual angle. He inspected the leader's weapon; he was empty. It didn't make a difference; neither of them was getting back up. The guy on the left was laid on his front, the cause of death made obvious by the gaping wounds in his back; several shots to the chest had pretty much ripped his skin to shreds around the heart area and the exit wounds looked particularly nasty. His gun was empty too. From the look of it, he must have had time to turn around and fire of a shot or two as Leon was firing at his buddy next to him. He was facing Leon's direction when he fell, and there was no way he fired more than 5 or 6 bullets before running dry, or Leon wouldn't be hovering on his tiptoes right now.

Then it hit him like a lightning bolt – this guy's injury was pretty serious, and he took the lesser half of the clip in Leon's gun. The agent to his right should have had some visible exit wounds if he was facing away from him and had no time to defend himself.

A noise behind him – he wasn't dead.

_Oh shit_

Thinking quickly, Leon grabbed the gun that lay on the floor. He spun and pointed the weapon at the man in black that was now stalking towards him.

"I'd stay exactly where you are unless a bullet between your eyes is on your Christmas list this year."

The commando stared at him. Leon could practically see him smirk beneath his gas mask.

"And I'd think twice about pulling that trigger – I'm not entirely sure that guns loaded."

Suddenly, the agent lunged towards him, making a grab for the weapon as Leon reacted by slamming the butt of it down on his head. The guy had missed, but so had Leon. Stumbling over each other, Leon found his balance and felt the air close to his face whoosh past him, he'd just narrowly avoided being hit by something. Ducking out of instinct, he sent his attacker hurling to the ground with a swift foot sweep. Standing over the agent, Leon stretched his right leg as high as he could, snapping his heel into the guy's chest. The man dressed in black was fast to recover though, and he rolled to his left and stood up with a flick of his body.

_Okay, this guy's not gonna be as easy as I thought._

Leon grabbed his shoulders and gave a swift knee to the happy sacks.

_Heh. That 'oughta slow him down_.

The guy winced in pain and doubled over. Leon acted immediately and grabbed him at the waist, flinging him over his shoulder in a suplex.

He stayed on the floor, still clearly conscious by the heaving of his chest, but nonetheless staying put. Leon looked around for something to tie his hands – he had a few questions that needed answering.

Just as Leon turned to face the man, a booted foot came flying up towards Leon's face – he blocked with his forearm and narrowly dodged another double footed kick to the face with a back handspring. The agent rolled backward and sprung to his feet, meeting Leon's eyes as he bounced on the balls of his feet, staying in his fighting stance - he wanted the commando to make the next move. The last of the commando unit charged towards him, screaming as he ran. He aimed a roundhouse kick Leon's way, missing as Leon inched his head backward and caught his leg. Using his own force against him, he pushed him off balance. The agent grunted as he hit the ground, and Leon knew he had him. Twisting and pulling his leg as he spoke, Leon began to question the pain in the ass he had under his mercy.

"Now, you're gonna start talkin' – unless you want me to pull this damn thing off and start on the other one."

"You killed my teammates."

The guy seemed pissed, but Leon was tired and sick of fighting for one week.

"Ditto," He muttered, clenching his jaw as he pulled harder on his leg. "Now, let's start with your name…what do they call ya Hot Shot?

"My codename is Snake, I'm ranked first in my unit, my favourite colour is blue and I like long walks on the beach. Anything else?"

Leon sighed. He hated it when interrogations were this difficult, especially after the most tiring and scarring event in six years.

"Yeah, actually, this unit you mentioned…what unit are we talking about here?" Leon yanked on his leg, twisting it at the ankle again to let him know he was getting pissed off.

"What's it to you, asshole?"

"Well Snake…I've got a pretty good idea anyway, but I wanna make sure we're talking about the same guy here; I don't like barging in on people uninvited unless I've got a good reason. So let's try this one more time. Who sent you?"

Leon twisted with as much pressure as he could afford without breaking or dislocating the guy's leg, he was grunting in pain, but Leon kept on. He had to give in eventually…

"Okay, enough!"

"WHO SENT YOU?!"

"JACK KRAUSER!"

Leon relaxed his grip a little, trying to process the words that just came out of his mouth. It was impossible, Leon had seen Krauser's body blow up along with the Island he escaped on mere hours ago.

"Jack Krauser is dead." Leon murmured.

"We received an order that Jack Krauser was returning from his last mission and needed a couple of loose ends tied up before he got back. "

_It's bullshit, it has to be. His superiors have obviously lied to him, and I don't think I'll get any truth out of him anyway._

"Here's the deal Snake – you can either come quietly, or you can piss me off even more and make this harder for both of us.

"Fuck you"

"Hard way it is."

Leon brought his elbow crashing down in the middle of the agents' leg, breaking the bone. He screamed in agony as Leon retrieved the empty gun from across the room, and slammed it down on his head, knocking him out cold. Two words wandered into Leon's tired and confused mind, words that so famously belonged to one of his favourite action heroes.

"Yippee-Ki-yay Motherfucker."


	7. Chapter 7 - Unfinished Business

Ada sat in the drivers set of the speed boat.

He was sat next to her.

She kept her eyes on the bland indigo colours of the sea before her. The island was getting closer, becoming clearer and clearer as they neared its rocky shores. She kept her arms straight and her back was in the most upright posture she could manage. He could feel the spray from the sea as the tiny droplets spewed into the speed boat and clung to her skin like dew drops on a rose. They gave her tiny goosebumps, even though she was used to its cold demeanor by now. A heavy wind washed over them both, causing her hair to flutter and the ribbon of her dress to sail behind her gloriously.

She wondered how he looked at that moment in time.

_I'll bet he looks beautiful when the wind caresses him_ , she thought.

She risked a small glance in his direction; he had his elbow on the side of the boat, leaning his head against his arm casually. He stared straight ahead with glazed over eyes; she figured he was a daydreamer. He was probably relishing the feeling that the breeze gave him, mixed with the tranquillity of the night sky and the gentle rocking of the boat with the waves. His dirty blonde hair lay across his face, the soft golden locks blowing gently in the breeze, teasing her with a clear view of his face. His clothes were beginning to smell as salty as the ocean air that was moving between them; it was greeted by feelings of tension and regret, yet comfort and wanting. There was so much that lay unsaid between them, and as she looked at him, she knew that he didn't care about that at this moment in time He was with her and that was all that mattered. She lingered on his face a millisecond longer as her head turned back to the wheel of the boat, but her eyes stayed for as long as her field of vision would permit. The island was getting closer now and the silent, but by no means, unspoken ride would end.

She was about to take in the sight of him one more time when she noticed him staring at her. She made a point of fixing her posture, arching her back and pushing out her breasts. She crossed her legs unconsciously, then uncrossed them when she realised she was driving. Her eyes stayed locked on the island ahead of her, but they remained focused on him. The look only lasted a second, but he could feel his eyes on her, taking in her posture and her facial expression. She realised she was almost smiling and focused on steering the boat. She began to break as the island greeted them all too soon. He was still looking at her and she could feel him trying to get her attention.

_He's gonna start to ask questions now. Guess it's time for a quick exit._

She came to a slightly abrupt stop at the edge of the island's coast, leaving the boat hovering below its rocky surface. She stood up and made a point of turning her back towards him. She drew out her

grappling gun and fired, the hook shot catching on the surface of a sturdy looking rock. She put her foot on the steering wheel of the boat, making sure her leg was peeking out from under the slit in her dress. She could feel him watching her.

"Got some business to take care of..." she looked back at him and noticed he was checking out her ass. When he realised she was talking to him, he looked up at her with a slight tinge to his cheeks, his mouth slightly open as he knew what she was about to do. .."See you later".

With that, she pulled the trigger and recoiled the hook shot, simultaneously using the foot that was on the steering wheel to boost her off the boat, in turn sending in careering out of control. Leon managed to grab the wheel and slow the boat to a stop, but not before crashing harshly into the side of a rock. Ada soared upwards and chuckled inwardly at herself at the practical joke she just played on him. She landed on the island's rocky surface rather smoothly and dusted herself off. She looked down at him clambering out of the boat and stood on the edge of the cliff with a broad smile on her face.

A bright light entered her vision as she slowly opened her eyes. She squinted against the harsh light erupting from the 60-watt bulb from her desk lamp, its rays the only source of light in the dark room. She was still smiling. She was in her safe house, the luxury apartment she had been staying in since she got back from Spain. She had dozed off.  _Again._  She was sat in an armchair, her feet crossed at the ankles as they lay upon the large wooden desk. Her arms were folded and her dress had hitched up slightly, revealing more thigh than she would have liked. Her laptop lay open, the screensaver flashing at her, telling her she had dozed off for anywhere between ten and thirty minutes. The laptop would have gone into sleep mode if it had been longer. She slid her heels off the end of the desk and sat up straight, pulling the hem of the dress down and running a hand through her hair, scratching her head at the same time. She smoothed her finger over the mouse pad and the screen flicked back to life, her research pages still open. She had been filing a report on Spain and researching for more background information on the objective of her next mission.

She switched to the document with her report and scrolled to the bottom to see how far she had gone. She had almost finished, the report hadn't taken as long as Ada expected it would, what with her leaving out several big details anyways. She began to type up the last few paragraphs, but soon became impatient and felt her eyes strain to read any more of the black text on the white background. The words had begun to blur and fade together making a string of random characters. She hit Control and S, saving the document ready for tomorrow. She would just have to delay Wesker for another day. The organisation had demanded a report as well of course, but Ada had made a point of handing that in the very next day after she returned. Wesker hadn't asked for his until the few moments of briefing she got before the mission last night.

Wesker would call it getting your nose dirty. Ada called it going above and beyond the call of duty. She had spent more time in that tree house than needed last night, not because she had to, but because she wanted to. She had to make sure he was safe. He had handled the amateur agents sent in to kill him superbly as expected, but she had no idea he was going to pull off that shit. Ada had enjoyed the show, and she had to admit, she had watched Leon in training for many years but he still surprised her even today. The man was capable of some truly spectacular things in her eyes. Even though he had managed to take out all but one, and he had  _that_  little nuisance of a man well under control, she still felt the need to watch his back until backup arrived. It didn't take him long to tie up

his assailant and release Ashley from her hiding place, but it took him a while to find a means of getting a message to his superiors in Washington. He had, however; found a PDA on one of the government agents that sadly had to perish n the gunfight. Although to Ada, that wasn't a huge loss considering the CIA had sent in two escort agents and expected there to be no complications. These men hadn't even had any proper field experience, and they were meant to be protecting a government agent and the president's daughter.

Ada switched screens to the monitoring program that was still running. She had been waiting for him to come home. She had been checking every five minutes to see if he had come home; she had personally planted cameras in the apartment years beforehand, but she was only granted access to them when Wesker allowed her to check up on him. After only a few minutes of staring at the screen, she noticed the front door to the apartment open slightly.

_Please let this be him and not the superintendent or something. God, I need to see him, I just need to know he's ok..._

A hand reached inside and switched on the light the room was illuminated instantly and the cameras automatically switched off their night vision mode. The door was opened all the way and Ada knew it was Leon, and he was alone. He had a backpack lazily hanging from his right shoulder and he leaned against the left side or the door frame for a minute. He stood there and threw his backpack in first, the thing can't have been heavy because it soared into the middle of the room and landed neatly on an armchair. Strangely, Leon didn't enter for several moments. And when he did, he was literally stalking into the room. He was checking his apartment for something strange; she knew he was because sometimes she did it herself. Hell, she did it  _all_  the time. Suspicion was never a bad thing, at the appropriate time of course. She guessed he just didn't want any more surprises. Who could blame the poor guy?

He finally seemed satisfied that his place had contained no hidden secrets and that no zombies were about to jump out of the shadows; he plonked himself into a small yet cosy looking sofa and lay there for several minutes. Ada couldn't help but smirk at him; his legs were splayed out on the back of the sofa, his arms hung limply over the side and his head was practically touching the floor. Ada rather liked watching him like this, when he thought nobody was around, she found him adorably cute. Finally, he heaved himself out of the sofa and took off his jacket, taking several pillows with him in the process. He walked over to the kitchen and poured himself a drink of water. He looked so tired and exhausted.

_Poor Leon, if only there was something I could do._

He gulped down his water and made his way into the bedroom. He didn't even bother to change out of his clothes, he simply lay on the bed and shut his eyes. Ada watched him for a few moments. Just watching him made her feel tired again. He hadn't lain there for longer than three or four minutes when he opened his eyes. She could see the frustration on his face as he tried to fall asleep, but his mind was simply too alert and awake. The invasion in Spain had obviously been the last straw and he was still constantly on guard. Ada sighed inwardly, thinking of some way, some excuse to go and see him; she wanted to comfort him and let him know everything was alright. There was something she could do for him that might put his mind at ease...

The next minute Ada had closed down her laptop, grabbed her car keys and locked the door behind her.

* * *

Leon had been home for almost an hour now. He promised himself that the first thing he would do once he was back in his humble abode was to crash out on the nearest available piece of furniture. He could usually sleep anywhere; he was a very heavy sleeper as his mother used to remind him constantly when he was a teenager. "All you do is sleep these days Leon, the moment your head touches the pillow you're out like a light till the next afternoon!" It was one of his strongest skills, being able to sleep anywhere. Hell, he had even slept on the hood of a car during one wild night at an old friend's house party.

So why couldn't he close his eyes for  _ten fucking seconds_!

_Because of her, that's why. She is the one thing you can't take your mind off of, and that really scares you. That and the fact that every time you're in trouble, she shows up._

Yeah, she does, but every time, she always saves my ass. Raccoon, Spain, the party crashers last night...

_So where was she now?_

Leon felt like he was in trouble every second he was on that plane, and all he had for protection were four agents from the CIA.  _At least they sent four this time,_ he thought to himself. Now that he was home, where he had always felt comfortable, it just didn't feel like home anymore. He didn't feel safe. Not alone anyway. Leon didn't want to think about how lonely he had been lately. He didn't want to know how many days he's wasted at the gym at work, sitting in bars chatting to women he didn't know or burying himself in paperwork at the CIA's resources center. Some nights he came home and fell asleep with the TV on, just so he could feel like there was someone there with him while he slept on the couch. He knew that feeling all too well lately. All he knew now was that if he didn't get to sleep in the next few minutes, he was going to explode.

Following that thought, a knock on the door interrupted his pathetic efforts of counting sheep. He must be going crazy; it was after four am, who would want to see him at this time of day? Still, he felt a twinge of suspicion in his gut and grabbed a knife from the kitchen on the way to the door. To his satirical surprise, he found there was no-one there.

_Big whoop, you're going insane from insomnia or something Kennedy. Just be glad it wasn't another band of hired goons to but you to sleep, the permanent way._

He was just making his way back through the bedroom door when he heard the knocking again. Only this time he realised it wasn't his front door. It came from the sliding glass doors that led out onto his balcony. Keeping the knife at the ready, Leon crept slowly over to the source of the noise and drew the thin curtain back ever so slightly. Realising who it was (and he should have known) Leon dropped his guard and sighed, unlocking the doors and being greeted by none other than Ada Wong.

"Hello there, handsome."

"What d'ya want Ada"

"Just dropped by to say hi. Thought you could use some company."

"At this time in the morning? Unusual visiting hours don't ya think?"

"Not by my standards, besides I thought you'd be used to my little visits by now."

Leon smiled at her, a half-assed, 'I guess your right' kind of smile and switched the knife to his left hand. He didn't want to put it away just yet, but he didn't want her to think he was going to use it. All this violence was beginning to feel unnecessary to him.

"Well, are you going to play with that thing for a while or are you going to let me in? It's kinda chilly out here in case you hadn't noticed."

Leon simply stepped aside and let her complete her extravagant entrance.

"Thanks" she murmured, and she brushed a hand delicately across his chest as she let herself in his front room.

"So, what, you just climb up ten stories worth of drainpipe so you could see me?" He quizzed her, walking with heavy steps over to the couch. He stayed standing. Leaning on the backrest as he watched her pick the cushions off the floor. She threw one of them over her shoulder at him playfully and he dodged it, giving her a look as if to say 'and what was that for?'

"I'll have you know I don't climb up dirty drainpipes in dresses like these every day. A woman's got to have standards when it comes to fashion."

"So I can see," he remarked, looking her up and down. She was wearing a small black dress, the fabric light and flowing, the straps crossing at the back and the cut of the dress revealing the slightest hint of cleavage.

"So, how  _did_  you end up on my balcony? The front door too easy?"

"Too boring, she said sitting on the sofa; I climbed down from the roof if you must know."

"So, you gonna tell me why you're here then?"

"I told you, I came to say hi."

"Well you've said it, so if you don't mind I'd like to get some sleep."

"Come on Leon, you know as well as I do sleep isn't gonna happen for either of us tonight."

Leon still held the knife in his hand. He sat down next to her, still putting some distance between the two of them, but making himself cosy all the same.

"I guess you're right. It's been a rough couple of days for both of us."

Leon didn't care that the events of the last few days had included her screwing him over big time, she had also saved his ass on more than one occasion and she was partly the reason he made it back alive. He put the knife down and slid it under the couch, just enough so the handle was peeking out.

"You ok handsome?"

"Yeah, Leon said with a slight crack in his voice, I am now I've got someone to keep me company for a while. I've been thinking how lonely it's been around here the last couple months."

"I know exactly what you mean tiger; I'm not the most popular person either. Never have been I suppose."

"So what fancy ass place are you staying in? Five-star hotel?"

"I can't tell you that Leon," Ada leaned in and whispered in his ear, "I'd have to kill you."

Leon snorted at her joke. At least he thought it was a joke. "So I don't get to see what your bedroom looks like?" He could feel the sexual tension between them like a line of fire from her eyes to his.

"Not exactly. Do I get to see yours?"

Leon nodded his head in the direction of the bedroom. "It's right there knock yourself out."

Never one to refuse an invitation, Ada got up and slinkily walked over to the door. Leon followed with heavy footsteps, Ada turning her head as if she had expected Leon to follow without question. And indeed he had. Ada entered the bedroom and paused before looking inside his wardrobe.

"Hmmm, I like a man who knows how to dress."

Leon's wardrobe was filled with Jeans and combat pants, small t-shirt, many with slogans on the front, and all of his best suits.

"Yeah, guys gotta have style too ya know."

Ada sat on the edge of the bed. She laid back and seemingly made herself comfy. She kicked her heels off and made a gesture to invite him over. Being tired and not in the mood for games, Leon simply obliged. It was better than being alone anyway. He lay down next to her, laying on his side and studying her face. Ada noticed and flicked her eyes open, looking at him questioningly.

"What?"

_God, she's beautiful. What I wouldn't give..._

"I'm glad you're here Ada."

"I know what you mean, I don't think I could stand being alone in that place, it's so cold and empty. Just like me, huh?"

"Not exactly..."

"Why not?"

"Don't get me wrong, you can be pretty cold on the mission most of the time, but I know you're not empty. Besides, I'm not getting any of that from you right now. It's kinda nice..."

Ada sat up and looked at him.

"Thank you, Leon." She whispered. Leon sat up and felt an overwhelming need to embrace her, hold her and tell her everything he feels for her. Instead, she did something that took him by surprise. She cried. She actually  _cried_  in front of him. It was the tiniest of tears, but she let it slip down her tender pink cheek with pride. Leon hugged her then, kissing her lightly but meaningfully on her forehead. He held her tight and brushed a large hand through her soft, raven hair. This was something else, Ada Wong was letting him hug her, and she was showing some form of emotion to him. Mind you, this was the first time he'd encountered her outside of a mission.

Ada pulled away from his embrace and rubbed the back of her hand softly along his face. She was looking into his eyes as she did, and it made Leon feel a burning desire for her like never before. Still, he knew she wouldn't allow anything like that to happen between them, and to be truthful he didn't dare try. He simply looked back into her deep hazel eyes and tried to tell her something with his eyes his mind hadn't truly come to accept.

"I'm pretty tired Ada."

"Me too handsome."

And with that, they undressed down to their underwear and crawled beneath the covers. Leon held Ada as she laid her head on his shoulder, stroking his hair with her eyes closed and her free arm placed across his chest. Leon held her with both arms and placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head. He could smell her scent, she smelled warm and exotic like some foreign fruit nobody had ever heard of but yearned to taste. He was enchanted by her, her smell, her presence, the feel of her in his arms. Everything about her called out to him, yet made him feel like he had to answer it and him alone. But for now, sleep beckoned for the both of them. He made out to say goodnight to Ada, but she had already stopped stroking his hair and lay still with her eyes closed, the gentle rhythm of her shoulders her only movement, indicating she was way ahead of him. He told her goodnight in his mind and closed his eyes, letting his body share her heat and savor the feel of her bare skin against his.

For the first time in two days, Leon fell asleep.

For the first time in six years, Leon slept like a baby.


	8. Questions

This time, This place  
Misused, Mistakes  
Too long, Too late  
Who was I to make you wait  
Just one chance  
Just one breath  
Just in case there's just one left  
'Cause you know, you know, you know

That I love you  
I have loved you all along  
And I miss you  
Been far away for far too long  
I keep dreaming you'll be with me  
and you'll never go  
Stop breathing if I don't see you anymore

On my knees, I'll ask  
Last chance for one last dance  
'Cause with you, I'd withstand  
All of hell to hold your hand  
I'd give it all  
I'd give for us  
Give anything but I won't give up  
'Cause you know, you know, you know

I wanted  
I wanted you to stay  
'Cause I needed  
I need to hear you say  
That I love you  
I have loved you all along  
And I forgive you  
For being away for far too long  
So keep breathing  
'Cause I'm not leaving you anymore  
believe it  
Hold on to me and, never let me go  
So keep breathing  
'Cause I'm not leaving you anymore  
believe it  
Hold on to me and, never let me go

Ada felt herself falling. She knew she was only dreaming, but the feeling was real enough to scare her all the same. It was something she used to dream about all the time; that awful quiver in your stomach as if gravity was about to pull you apart before you hit the ground, the rush of adrenaline as your mind realises what is about to happen to your body and that there is no way to prevent it, the impending jolt of pain as you eventually crash into the ground and wake up in a cold sweat and realise it was just your overactive imagination playing tricks on you. But this time it felt different. Ada knew she was dreaming, and this was what made her sit up and pay attention.

She was surrounded by blackness, not like darkness per se, but just nothing there to see yet. She soon began to understand her feeling of falling; she opened her eyes and realised she was floating. The dark blue-black sky was littered with stars; she was standing above a huge garden with a water fountain and a beautiful display of flower beds.

She suddenly felt a strange impulse take over her body, and extended her hands out as if she expected someone to take them and lead her somewhere. Sure enough, she felt an invisible force pull her and she stepped closer. She had no idea what she was doing, but Ada decided it wouldn't hurt to follow her impulses. She did just this and found herself taking up a ballroom position with whatever or whoever it was that wanted to be her partner. She felt invisible hands grasp hers and wrap around her waist delicately, spinning her in a waltzing motion. It was the strangest and yet simplest thing Ada had experienced in her dreams. She felt completely at ease with this person. However, curiosity got the better and she soon longed to know who it was her subconscious was trying to pair her with. Because this invisible man or she assumed it was a man, was giving her an overwhelming sense of love and security. She felt completely safe in its arms and something in her didn't want to let go.

Just as she was thinking these things, Ada felt the invisible entity pull her inwards and spin her through the air, holding on to her hand as it did so, then catching her other hand, meaning Ada was being held in a cross arm grip with her back to the so-called being. She felt warm, sweet breath on the back of her neck. The person was speaking to her. Ada spun to face them, but they were clouded by pure white light, and Ada couldn't tell who it was for sure – if not for the voice that is. The glowing white silhouette of Leon Kennedy almost blinded her as it spoke her name. Ada noticed the black cocktail dress she had been wearing previously had suddenly turned to the brilliant white that radiated off of him. Even stranger was that it was slowly growing in length until it became an elegant ballroom gown.

"Leon, what are you doing here?" she found herself asking, even though she didn't want to know the answer and didn't care either way.

He whispered her name again, only he kept repeating it in an almost heavenly soft voice.

"Leon, dance with me again. It feels like flying when I dance with you."

Ada outstretched her arms for him to take them, expecting him to embrace her and dance again with flowing, easy steps, but instead, he grasped her by the waist and seemed to jump into the sky, taking her with him as they rocketed upwards at an almost impossible yet comfortable speed. All the time, Ada felt her name echoing in her mind, he wasn't even saying it anymore: she was just hearing it as if from nowhere. They finally slowed down until they stopped and hovered what seemed a million miles above the earth; Ada couldn't even see the beautiful garden they had just left behind. In fact, all she could see was an ocean of the darkest blues imaginable. The moonlight bounced off the indigo waves, paling in comparison with the light illuminating her from the silhouette that still hovered beside her. Ada was enjoying this dream, there was no way she was letting this end anytime soon.

The figure spread its arms, and Ada felt hers do the same without her brain even telling her it was going to do it. They began to glide like a bird would in mid-flight, without a care in the world or a thought in her head. She was flying alongside the being she believed to be the man she cared for more than any other, and she felt invincible. Her white gown was fluttering gracefully after her and her hair was waving behind her in the warm night air. She felt an incredible rush of adrenaline, feeding her happiness and thrill for adventure; she wanted to go faster, to feel nothing but the steady grip on her hand and the wind's friction against her body as she defied gravity in the most gratifying way possible. As if he could read her thoughts, the grip on her hand tightened and the figure of Leon propelled them both forward at an incomprehensible speed; if she weren't holding onto Leon she would fear for her life. Ada felt an urge to look down at the ground below them; she almost felt scared that she was being taken this high without cause and explanation as to how this was being achieved. She felt a curiosity dwell inside her that asked what would happen if she were to let go.

Suddenly, the hand that held onto Leon felt hot and burned her skin, her hand instinctively pulling away to prevent her feeling any pain, and in turn, the white figure began to lose its light, not fading to reveal the person underneath, but fading away all together, leaving Ada reaching out to grasp onto something that was no longer there, regretting her own impulses and cursing herself for thinking of negativity in such a rewarding situation.

Ada immediately felt a sensory overload; she felt alone and frightened and angry and betrayed and a mix of other emotions, she felt extremely cold and her ears popped from the altitude as she began to fall. Her ears whistled as the air rushed past her and she plummeted to earth. This time she felt the familiar sense of dread when she almost certainly was about to hit the ocean at an unimaginable speed. She braced herself for the impact that would surely kill her. She longed for the comfort and safety of the white figure with the angelic voice to catch her and guide her back to earth; she needed her white knight to save her from her own mistakes. Then, she had a moment of apprehension; it was only a dream. She scrunched her eyes shut and willed herself out of the air and into a warm soft bed...

Ada awoke with a jolt, she was breathing heavily. She turned towards the window and squinted as the sun poured through the slats in the blinds. Leon was next to her, sleeping heavily. She wiped away the sweat on her forehead and upper lip with a rub from the bed sheets. She then recollected she was in her underwear from falling asleep last night. She had to get dressed and leave as soon as possible; she couldn't let herself stay here for too long. Besides, she had somewhere to be today...

Ada shifted her weight over to the side of the bed with minimal noise and swung her legs over the side of the bed. She felt a shiver as her body made harsh contact with the cold morning air filtering through the apartment. She stood and slipped on her dress and shoes from off of the floor.

"Going somewhere?"

The voice made her jump slightly; she hadn't expected Leon to hear her.

"No" she lied. "I'm just going to get a glass of water. Isn't a girl allowed to get thirsty this time in the morning?"

"Not if she's you," Leon said, finishing the sentence with a yawn and peeling the sheets off him.

"Ooh, man it's cold." He said, walking to the wardrobe and pulling on a clean pair of pants and a large baggy shirt. He grabbed the quilt cover off the bed and wrapped it around Ada as she turned to walk out the door.

"At least wait till I've made you breakfast – and got this place warmed up, I don't want you catching a chill."

Ada felt reluctant to leave but knew there was a personal matter she had to take care of today. And looking at the clock on his bedside table, it was already after ten.

"Sorry dad, but I have certain matters to deal with today. So unless you have that breakfast to go I'm afraid I can't stay."

"Where do you have to be that's more important than breakfast?" he said with a sarcastic smile, "People in our line of work don't always have the luxury of a well-balanced meal every day. I thought you'd be grateful for the offer."

He leaned on the doorway in front of her, obstructing her only exit out of the bedroom. She was kinds hungry actually, in fact, she was absolutely famished. She hadn't eaten anything in almost a day.

If I humour him for breakfast, maybe it will get him off my back so he will let me leave in peace without having to sneak out too.

"Alright, handsome," she said, making a line down his chest with her finger, "Whip me up something hot and greasy while I take a shower, but then I'm leaving. Fair deal?"

"Got it" Leon exclaimed, clicking his fingers and practically bouncing over to the kitchen. Ada smiled at him as he immediately got to work pulling out pots and pans and rummaging around in his rather large fridge for ingredients. She went back into the bedroom and entered the adjacent bathroom, grabbing a towel and stepping in the shower. As she let the hot water run over her, Ada couldn't help but wonder what Leon's motives were for wanting her to stay, and why neither of them was questioning the events of the night before. Granted, it was a little out of character for her to be staying longer than necessary, but last night she had also gone out of her way to see him, and with no excuse either. Still, she noticed how upbeat and optimistic Leon seemed this morning, and if that was partly her influence, then maybe she would pay him a visit more often...

Leon pushed a lock of hair out of his eyes as he leaned over the stove, the aroma of sizzling bacon aggravating his hunger. He had always loved the smell, even as a kid when his mother would cook a fried breakfast for the family on a Saturday and he knew that even though it took longer than he usually liked to wait for his breakfast, it would be worth the wait when he dug in.

He had kept his hair in pretty much the same style since he was a teenager, growing it out and cutting it short when it got too long, or maybe dying it back to blonde when he got sick of his original colour, but he had often got annoyed with it if it got too long and got in his eyes. He was never one for getting aggravated over stupid little things and often just solved the problem by going straight to the source. Leon made a mental check to make an appointment at the local barber soon.

For the first time in months, maybe even years, Leon had felt totally refreshed, almost revitalised. He could feel the energy flow through him as he moved through a small modern kitchen, making as much noise as possible along the way. He felt great, to say the least. Before too long he had whipped up a full breakfast, with more than a few helpings of Bacon on his plate. He sat on one of the stools at the kitchen counter and tucked in without waiting for Ada to finish her shower. She was taking her sweet time, and somehow that didn't surprise him much.

Leon had almost finished by the time she finally stepped into the kitchen. She didn't say a word; she strolled over to the counter and began eating her food. He wiped the sauce from around his mouth sneakily – he hoped she hadn't noticed the red stain that now graced his shirt.

"Mmmm, this actually isn't too bad, although it's not usually my style."

"Is that a shock to you?"

"Considering most men can't cook, yeah it is. I never pinned you as one of those eat at home types. I figured takeaways and microwave dinners were more your lifestyle choice."

"Well, I'm not most men...and I've always been handy in the kitchen, I used to help my mom cook breakfast a lot" he murmured the last part as he shoved a fork full of sausage into his mouth, forgetting his manners in favour of his hunger.

Ada stifled a chuckle under her breath as she tried not to laugh with a mouth full of tomato.

"What's so funny?"

"You have ... a little something ... In your hair" she said between giggles.

There was a drop of tomato ketchup stuck to one of his blonde locks. Leon groped a saucy hand through his hair, only to add more red to the blonde. Ada laughed again, as Leon looked bewildered at her amusement.

"Did I get it?"

"No", she slurred, swallowing the mouthful of food, "here let me get it."

She grabbed a napkin and leaned over to wipe the sauce from his fringe, showing him the two huge red stains. Leon was embarrassed, to say the least. He would have to get his hair cut sooner than he thought.

"How did you get it in your hair?" Ada asked amusedly.

"I have no idea!" he exclaimed.

The pair laughed in unison as Leon got up and washed his empty plate in the sink.

"So, where is it you have to be that almost made you miss seeing me making a fool of myself?"

"I told you Leon, its personal." She snapped, her tone changing to serious quicker than he had anticipated.

Ada began picking at her food for a few seconds before pushing the plate away and standing up.

"I really should go now, breakfast was nice."

"You don't wanna finish it?"

"I'm not hungry anymore." She said, storming over to the door in a hurry.

"You need a ride?"

"I'm fine, Leon, I told you."

"Ada, wait!" He shouted after her, grabbing his jacket and car keys before rushing down the corridor to the elevator that led to the lobby. He caught up with her just as the elevator doors were closing. Ada looked annoyed that he'd followed her. Usually, he just let her make a quick exit when need be.

"Look, if you got somewhere to be, some mission you're going to, some boss type you have a meeting with, hell I don't care if you're buying groceries; I'm coming with you."

"What makes you so interested in my life all of a sudden?"

"To be honest I can't really say, but I am, and I'm coming with you whether I'm riding in your car or following you in mine." He stared at her with his best serious face as she avoided his gaze and stared straight ahead with her arms folded. He caught his reflection in the glossy metal doors and knew she wasn't getting rid of him so easily. She turned to face him so she could make herself as close to him as possible. She leaned into him and whispered.

"You couldn't keep up with me if I left a trail of bread crumbs. Just drop it and stop trying to force yourself into my life because you want answers! I've learned to live without worrying about answers; you should do the same thing..."

With that she stepped out of the elevator and into the busy crowd in the street outside, losing herself in a sea of busy people, with places to go and people to see. Only Leon stood in the empty elevator, staring after her until the doors closed and he lost sight of her.

The day was bright, but the sun's warmth was hindered by an onslaught of grey, making the sky overcast as hell. Ada shivered with the increasing wind and she felt a certain gloom cloud over her as if the sky was reflecting her mood. She had jumped in her car and drove here in a hurry, checking regularly to see if Leon was indeed true on his word. It seemed he hadn't bothered.

Good. That way I can spare myself the trouble of losing him later on.

Still, Ada figured he was more persistent than that. It was his nature after all. Maybe she had just scared him off. Made him come to his senses. She had let herself get lost in his charm somehow; she had allowed herself to spend the night at his place and although nothing had happened, didn't put up too much of a fight when he asked her to stay. It was a stupid move; she was getting soft again, just like she was in Raccoon... when she had made the ultimate sacrifice for him.

Well, I can't afford to do that anymore, not for him, not for anybody. There are only a certain amount of times a person can come back to life.

She stood alone in the cemetery, rubbing her arms to warm them up. She had left her jacket in her car. Pink blossoms fell harshly in the wind and scattered around her. She picked a handful of them off the ground and laid them across the head of the tombstone. In all the years she had been coming here, she had never brought any flowers to lay, no cards, no messages, not even a picture. The grave lay in a far corner right under two blossom trees. As far as she knew, nobody came to visit this grave except her. It was a very lonely spot, and she only came here on the loneliest of days. It wasn't to pay respect, or to give her love to the deceased, it was a reminder. A reminder of the path she was to take, and the life she was to lead. A reminder that mistakes are costly and getting too involved in personal matters only complicates things and fucks up your life.

Ada gripped her arms tight with anger at these thoughts and gritted her teeth. Memories were usually painful for her, but this day served as more than heartache and mourning. This day, this place, gave her a means to go on, it gave her strength and wisdom and clarity... and guilt. She hated herself for thinking this, but she was almost glad they were dead, it made her weak and emotional at first, but it strengthened her – molded her into the intelligent, ruthless and detached assassin she was today. And she was somewhat proud of that. Somewhat. After all, spying wasn't just a career for her anymore; it was a way of life.

She brought her right hand up to her lips and kissed her fingertips, scrunching her eyes tight, as she placed her fingertips on the gravestone in front of her. She let them linger there on the cold marble, before shuddering and quickly withdrawing her hand and crossing her arms again. Ada didn't know if it was the harsh wind that was now picking up, or if she truly was going soft, but her eyes watered and she sighed heavily. She was getting goose pimples on her arms and she had been there long enough it seemed.

All right, I'm going, happy now?

She sent her thoughts in the skies direction. She didn't know why.

"Leaving already?"

Her mind acknowledged the presence of Leon Kennedy, but she made no movement to indicate otherwise.

"Been here long?" she muttered stroppily, she didn't expect him to be here and she had to admit, he took her a little by surprise. She had checked time and time again to make sure nobody followed her – Leon especially.

"Not too long, I wanted to give you some privacy. You okay?" Ada snorted inwardly at his comment. He had a funny definition of the word privacy.

"I'm fine. Or I was till you showed up. Why did you follow me here Leon? I told you to leave me alone."

"And you said I couldn't follow you if you left bread crumbs for me. Looks like we both got a surprise on that front huh?"

She turned to face him at that point. She stared long and hard into his face. She unfolded her arms and scolded herself for what she was about to do, but she knew today more than any other it was the right thing to do.

"Why can't you accept that there are parts of my life I just can't let you be a part of? For God's sake Leon, I need you to understand that I can't let you in! My personal life is no business of yours, and neither is any other part for that matter! I'm sick of you playing the hero all the time – STOP trying to rescue me from something I don't need to be saved from! I can take care of myself!"

She began to hear cracks in her voice and knew the feelings of sadness and remorse and regret she was trying so hard to suppress were leaking through. But she knew she was fed up now. Not just with him, with pretty much everything.

"It's not as simple as breakfast in bed to change my mind; my life isn't mine to live anymore. I'm damaged goods Leon and believe me, nothing and nobody is going to repair me. You have to accept were on opposite sides now."

Leon frowned in response. He didn't know what to say to her sudden outburst. He could see she was struggling to keep her emotions from surfacing, but spending his childhood growing up around females meant he was better than most at reading a woman. His common sense had always told him that when a woman didn't want a man around, it was best to make yourself disappear for a while, but with Ada, he couldn't help but get involved. He hated to see her like this and he knew that if he could win her trust, he had a chance of helping her.

"Why can't you accept that I'm not like most other guys? Why can't you accept that I want to be a part of your life, even if it is the tiniest part?" He placed his jacket over her shoulders to keep her from shivering, though whether it was from the cold or from the emotion he didn't know. He kept his hands on her shoulders and spoke softly into her ear. "Why can't you accept that I'm not giving up that easy?

He couldn't have been sure, but Leon swore he saw a teardrop slide down her face.

"Just leave me alone..." She sounded utterly defeated at this point, her voice just above a whisper. She turned to leave but stopped after a few paces. She seemed unbalanced for a moment and collapsed onto her knees.

"Ada!" he blurted out, rushing over to her. "Are you okay? What happened?" She sat on her knees, clutching her head for a moment before shaking her head and standing up.

"I'm FINE!" she muttered through clenched teeth, rushing over to the edge of the cemetery and hopping over the waist-high fence that surrounded the grounds. She got into her car and drove away, leaving Leon standing there like so many times before, feeling hurt, betrayed, and useless. He could feel her beginning to slip away from him again, and despite his best efforts, it seemed as though she was forcing herself to let go...


	9. Sick and Tired

Leon had always been a hopeless romantic. He knew it ever since his first date. He couldn't help but buy her roses, give her his jacket and kiss her goodnight, even though he didn't really know her that well. He loved being able to spoil a girl; he cherished the feeling of being needed in some way, although buying chocolate and flowers wasn't exactly being needed. It was just the desire to be there for someone, to be depended on and know they care that  _he_  cared. He was no different then as he is now. Still a hopeless romantic, still a geeky teenage boy at heart, still like a lovesick puppy when he has someone on his mind. He downed the last of his beer and went to the bar.

"Another Bud?"

"Make it a double."

The barman bent down and got two bottles of Budweiser out of the fridge behind him. Leon hardly drank the stuff; it tasted like dirty dishwater and always took its toll on his head the next morning. Headache in a can, as Leon always called it. But it was cheap and it did the job of getting him drunk. Leon checked his appearance in the mirror behind the bar. He had gone for the casual look; a tight black shirt and his best pair of baggy blue jeans. He wore his brand new red converse and splashed on a generous amount of his third-best cologne. Between the bottles of gin and vodka, he noticed he had an orange stain on his shirt.

_Damn. Knew I should have gotten ready_ after _I ate._

"You here by yourself?" the barman asked, taking the five that Leon handed him.

"Give it another 20 minutes and I'll tell ya."

"Ah, don't sweat it; she's bound to turn up sooner or later, a handsome fella like you. She's probably still puttin' on her make-up or somethin'."

Leon laughed at the joke and sat back down on the tiny table for two by the door. He had told himself he sat there so she could recognise him as she came in, but really, it was because he didn't want to keep pivoting round to check if she'd got here yet. Not that he would exactly know what she looked like when she did.  _If_  she did.

_That's the last time I trust a blind date from Chris Redfield._

Leon took a big swig out of the bottle and started to pick at the coaster again. He had made a nice pile of paper shreds off of it on the table, and would only end up apologising and cleaning them up soon. The cardboard beer mat had a picture of a camel in a yellow traffic sign with a horizontal line saying 'No Humping'.

_Thanks for the advice._

He couldn't even get Hunnigan to talk to him properly after he asked her for her number. She simply smiled awkwardly and walked past him with her head buried in files whenever he said hi. He felt even more regret for asking her out when he had to ask her a favour this morning. He had to swing by the offices to have a quick meeting with his superiors to let him know he would be filing his report

in the next few days and that in return, Leon had the rest of the month off to recover. On his way out, Leon had stopped to ask Hunnigan to do some research on Krauser and to email him the interrogation report for the hired goon. She bashfully agreed, but when Leon had tried to bring up the subject and apologize for him being rude, but she had taken that the wrong way as well.

"Leon, before you ask me again, I have a fiancée, so please let me get back to my work before I'm forced to report you for harassment."

Leon flew out of there like a bat out of hell.  _She doesn't have to tell me twice_. He took a few large gulps of beer and set down the empty bottle. Opening the other one, he rearranged the bouquet of flowers that lay on the chair opposite so they didn't fall off. He'd been sat in the practically empty bar for over an hour now. He was going to have to switch to the stronger stuff soon.

He hadn't heard anything of Ada since she stormed off three days ago, leaving him heading back to an empty apartment that felt just as cold and somber as the cemetery had been. That was partly the reason he accepted the date; Chris was the only person to visit him since... well, a long time. He had flown over from his new apartment with Jill in New York to catch him up on where the main S.T.A.R.S members were now hiding and decided to help Leon come out of his "chick hibernation" as he had so delicately called it. Having Chris come over to visit really put things in perspective for him; everybody else who had been through the same or similar incidents as him had moved on and done something with their lives, they had homes and relationships and jobs, and some had even started a family. All Leon had to occupy his free time lately was his workout and training sessions and extra research at the CIA headquarters. Occasionally he went for a few drinks at bars with buddies from work, but he rarely even does that anymore.

_Looks like I won't be for a while either. Not after tonight anyway._

He took a generous gulp of his Bud, sighing and planning his early night in front of the TV with a 16" Pizza for company. It was getting towards 10.30 and this mystery girl obviously wasn't turning up. Absolutely nothing. No call, no message, not even a half-assed excuse.

_Yep... I've still got it._

Downing the last of his bud in a hurry, he slung his jacket over his shoulder, picked up the flowers (many of which were starting to wilt already) and made his way to the door giving a quick nod to the barman on his way out. He stopped in the parking lot, checking for the white convertible he had been told to look out for. When he saw nothing but a rundown Camero and a Blue Sedan, he upped his pace and hurried down the street with his head down, only the sounds of his converse thudding against the pavement filling the silence in the deserted street.

* * *

Something was wrong.

Ada sat in her apartment, eyes glued to the laptop screen in front of her. The modern furnishings and expensive upholstery of the practically brand new apartment remained as perfectly positioned and untouched as they were several minutes ago when she last checked up on him. It had been almost seven hours since he had left his home and Ada saw no sign of life. It was a sad little place in some respects; there were no photos of family or friends, no pictures of loved ones, no personal or sentimental objects on display, not even much colour in his decorating. Perhaps he just wasn't that

big on decorating. The time on her laptop read 01:41. Soon it turned to 01:42, then 01:43. If a normal person was in her place, they might be a little worried by now. Ada was now past worry, and well into paranoia. Leon never left home this long unless he was at work.

Something was wrong.

Ada had handed in her report of Spain to Wesker days ago, leaving several details out in the process of course. But there was something she couldn't totally exclude from her report – Leon. He was, after all, the whole reason she was chosen for the mission. Without his involvement, she would have been lucky to have a generic role in the mission.

"What about Leon?"

"He's a survivor of Raccoon City; we can do without the extra distraction. Take him  _out_."

Of course, she knew from the moment he said those words she would do no such thing. In fact, she did just the opposite. Several times. As he had done for her. Even given that she had omitted all of these tiny little occurrences seemingly by accident, her report would count for nothing if the rumours were true. If Jack Krauser  _was_  still alive, he would undoubtedly go taddle to Wesker and Umbrella, counteract her whole story and destroy Wesker's valuable trust in her. Of course, her word would mean nothing against Krauser's – after all, blood was thicker than water...

Just then Ada held her breath as a movement on the screen caught her eye. She prayed in her mind it was Leon safe and sound, and somewhat hoped he was alone.

_Please don't let my suspicions be true, I doubt id have much time to find Leon and warn him before he got home to an unwelcoming bunch of Umbrella thugs._

Ada let out her breath as Leon came stumbling into the apartment, alive and well. He was obviously drunk; he fumbled for the light switch on the wall and merely gave up, throwing his jacket on the floor along with his keys, slumping against the wall and sliding down to his knees. He remained on the floor, crossing his arms on the wall and burying his forehead in his arms.

The sight made Ada want to forget the cameras were there, forget about Wesker and Krauser, forget her obligations to the agency, forget that she had been paid to assassinate him several times and that not doing so had put a price on not only her head but Leon's and the people he loved. And for a moment she did forget.

_Poor Leon, if only I could be there. I_ _**want** _ _to be there. Hell, why can't I be there?_

Ada stood up to grab her car keys but quickly sat back down when she got a familiar pain in her head. The headaches were back. They had started that day at the cemetery, nothing more than a quick burst of pain, now they were longer, minutes at a time and almost incapacitating. She was beginning to feel faint or nauseous when they happened now too, which nagged at her subconscious. She needed to be on top form for what was inevitably going to come.

_Great time to get sick, huh Ada? Femme_   _Fatales don't get sick. They kick ass and look cool doing it. And to think, I'm going soft over a migraine when this is the time Leon is gonna need my help more than ever._

Ada hardly ever got it wrong, her instincts were usually spot on, but this time Ada hoped to God her instincts were mistaken. As she stood up once more, grabbed her car keys and flew out of the door, she had no idea just how right her instincts were...

* * *

Leon had no idea what to do with himself.

He was tired, drunk, upset and angry, and that for him was not a very welcome mix. His eyes had adjusted to the dark in the time he had been sat there, slumped against the wall, not bothering to even get up and shut his front door. The only light in the room was the narrow beam of yellow from the powerful 60-watt bulb in the corridor. He looked around his nearly bare apartment and the vast empty space that occupied it. The walk to his room seemed miles away as his head spun and his eyes clouded. He felt a mix of emotions so conflicting that he felt he might explode if he didn't feel one more strongly than the other. One second he was angry, the next upset, the next he just wanted to laugh at himself.

He was beginning to feel hot and sweaty; he hadn't even taken off his jacket when he had stumbled inside. The battle continued in his head whether to even bother taking it off or to just sleep as he was. It didn't seem to matter to him anymore; he was just tired. Tired of his lifestyle, tired of his job, tired of feeling the same loneliness every time he came home to an empty apartment. Mainly he was tired in general. All he needed was a good sleep, and he would feel different in the morning. No, that was a lie; he would feel the exact same way when he woke up alone in a double bed. He felt ashamed. He even dreaded sleep now. Deep down, Leon knew it wasn't the same.

"Not without…"

_No. Don't even say it, Leon. Don't even_ think _it. It's what she wants, and I'm tired of giving her what she wants. Who made her queen of the universe anyway? It's my life; it's my decision if I want to be involved with her. But it's not_ your _heart is it, Kennedy? Not anymore, she took that choice from you six years ago and she ain't giving it back. Just face it, she says jump and you don't even ask how high. You jump as high as you can till you reach the top, and when you do, you come crashing down to Earth with an almighty bang._

Leon sighed and finally decided to attempt dragging his sorry ass to bed. Before he could even stand up, Leon felt a presence approach him from behind. He whipped his head around, his vision blurring and spinning before him before settling on the form of a hooded figure. His face was covered, but Leon knew immediately he wasn't friendly.

Reaching for the knife he had concealed beneath his jacket, Leon saw the figure spring forward and kick his weapon away with a booted foot as he drew it from its holster. The attacker threw themselves at him as he recoiled in pain, but he luckily managed to dodge and side rolled out of the way. Getting swiftly back to their feet, the figure lunged once again at Leon, attempting to land on top of him and pin him to the floor; unfortunately, Leon's softened reaction time let him down as he failed to retaliate. The attacker was now kneeling on his arms and had his elbow squeezing dangerously on his Adam's apple. Harder and harder they pressed with incredible strength, he felt as if they were going to snap his neck at any given time, and he was completely powerless to do anything to retaliate.

Leon cursed his luck that he chose tonight to drown his sorrows in alcohol, giving his assailant an easy win, not to mention the mistake of leaving his front door wide open at this time of night. How could he be so stupid? Now he was going to die he desperately tried to break free, he had to live, not for himself, but so that he could finally tell the woman he loves how he feels.

_If you can hear me, Ada, I love you. Please forgive me..._

The last thing Leon saw before he blacked out was the glint of red deep within the eyes of his killer…


	10. Crimson Souvenir

Ada stood up and pushed herself away from the wall she was leaning on. She tried to shake off the effects of her latest migraine attack for what had to be the fifth time that week, and the second time today.

_Dammit, they're getting more frequent. Some help I'll turn out to be if Leon really does need my assistance._

But Ada knew better, she had to keep going and make sure Leon was okay. Even if she had to stand watch for the night, she couldn't ignore her instincts, and they told her things may turn sour tonight. Feeling fit once more, Ada picked up the pace and jogged the corner to the fire escape. Ada just counted herself lucky she hadn't been driving at the time of the headache, as she had been mere seconds before it hit her – she was so severely affected this time she could have sworn she blacked out for a second or two.

She reached the floor she needed in due time and kicked in the door to the corridor. To her horror, she saw him, sprawled out on the floor of his apartment, his door wide open and his head displayed at a worrying angle. Running over to him, Ada knelt by his side and immediately checked for signs of life.

_Oh shit, Oh shit, Oh shit, If he's dead and I got here too late I'll never forgive myself, oh Leon I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm so fucking sorry, just don't die on me not now._

She finally felt the slow and steady beat of his heart in his chest.

"Leon! Leon, are you okay?"

His chest began to rise and fall more dramatically as he started to come around. Sitting up, he held his head and groaned, coughing a few times before even recognising who was by his side.

"Ada?"

She breathed a small sigh of relief as he said her name.

"I'm glad you're alright – I thought for a minute you were…"

"What are you doin' here?"

Ada said nothing; she merely scanned his body for any immediate injuries or cause for him passing out.

"What happened?"

"I dunno, I must have fallen asleep, I had the weirdest dream."

"Here, let me take a look at you."

As she moved closer to him to check his head for any cuts or abrasions, he squirmed out of the way and stood up.

"I'm fine; I told you it was just a dream." His voice sounded rather hoarse, but that could be because he was sobering up – and she did smell alcohol on his breath.

"Oh, so you just fell asleep in the middle of the floor with your front door wide open and laid barely breathing in the dark. If that's ALL then I guess I wasted my time by coming here."

"I guess you did."

"Well, as soon as you tell me where you've been all night I'll be out of your hair."

"How do you know I've been out all night?"

"Same way I know you had a knife on you when you left and now the sheath under your jacket is empty. Now how do you suppose that disappeared?"

Glancing down at his open jacket, he noticed instantly that she was right, he always took some form of a weapon with him for defense in case things got sticky, but the small combat knife was missing. He looked around him but couldn't see it on the floor or anywhere in the open. Maybe he  _had_  been attacked; it would make sense for his assailant to disarm him and take the weapon with them - whoever they may have been.

"Okay, explain how you know all of this and I won't go get my spare blade and make you leave before I get  _really_  freaked."

"Come on Leon, you know me better than that."

"Okay, so you can't tell me why or how you're keeping tabs on me, but still, you knew to come over here. You knew somebody was coming for me didn't you?"

"For what other reason might I have come?"

"That's just what I'm asking you."

Silence filled the air between them for the next few seconds as they stared at each other intently. Ada had fixed him with her usual cold stare, but to see Leon giving her the same look made her heart sink a little.

"Fine" Leon finally broke the silence as he quickly strode over to the coffee table and removed the spare knife he had taped underneath."Feel like talkin' now?" He was now invading Ada's personal space, so much so that she could smell the beer on his breath, feel the warmth from his body and hear the sound of his breathing getting heavier as his impatience increased.

"You wanna be careful where you're sticking that thing; you might do yourself an injury."

Ada forced the threat from her lips; she knew she could never hurt Leon and any physical threat would inevitably be an empty one.

"What happened to you at the cemetery before?"

"I beg your pardon?" Ada was thrown off balance by the random question, and Leon took advantage of it: he wrapped a hand around her waist yet shoved the blade end of the knife closer to her throat.

Realising he wasn't going with the whole foreplay idea, Ada decided to comply. And besides, she didn't want to get blood on her new red dress.

"I don't honestly know, I had a migraine attack or something, I'm fine now, nothing to worry about." She was lying through her back teeth, but he strangely wasn't concerned with her sudden fir of ill health.

"Not that, don't change the subject."

"Then what are you talking about, Leon?" She was beginning to lose her patience with him, and let her voice raise a semitone.

"Who's grave were you visiting?"

"A friend."

"You're lying."

"I'm  _not_ "

"They were closer than that, whoever they were. I don't know that much about you but I can tell when your emotions become strong enough to break through over your cold exterior. Now spill, who was it?"

"How does that help you even if I tell you?"

"It doesn't, I'm just curious."

"Well you're gonna have to stay that way." She remarked through gritted teeth.

With that Leon grabbed her by the wrist with his free hand, twisted it behind her back and pushed her onto the couch face down. She landed softly but with a grunt, possibly of surprise or outrage, but defiantly not of pain. He kept the knife a fair distance away this time but still held it close enough to her throat as he lowered himself on top of her with a knee over each arm. She couldn't move them.

"Who was it, Ada? I can do this all night."

She said nothing.

"Was it your sister? Or your mother? "He lowered his face to hers so that his nose was practically touching hers. "You must have really loved them; I've never seen you so upset before. Which is really something for a hard bitch like you."

Ada kneed him in the groin and shoved him back so that he bent at the knees, his head and shoulders hanging clean off the end of the sofa. She grabbed the knife from him in his temporary moment of imbalance, noting it was surprisingly easier than she expected, but realised that he was quite drunk after all. As she held his own knife to his throat, she lowered her voice and gritted her teeth.

"It was MINE, you bastard!"

"What?!"

"That grave is me, or the old me anyway. It's my old identity; who I was before I was forced to spy and assassinate for Umbrella. And the worst part is, there's actually a person in that grave. A person I killed."

"Ada… I'm sorry I…"

"There are a lot of things you don't know about me Leon, just like there are things I don't know about you. And I aim to keep it that way as best as I can."

Ada had lowered her voice to a mumble; she was so close to him, so close she could almost taste his skin when she breathed in. To her surprise Leon just looked into her eyes with an intense stare that made Ada want to look away; she wanted to but she couldn't. There was something so bewildering and enchanting about looking into his eyes that filled her with wonder, which filled her with mystery. Ada swung her arm out to the side and let the knife drop to the rug below them. She blinked slowly as she stared into his face. And yet Leon understood it all. He understood why she was the way she was; why she seemed so cold and distant all of the time, so desperately compassionate without being openly emotional – and he knew why she visited that grave the same day every year. She hated who she was now, she missed her old life and knew there was nothing or no-one that could get it back for her. A part of herself had died on that day, and she wasn't coming back either.

Ada moved away, sitting back on her calves and averting her eyes as she gathered herself together. But Leon surprised her yet again; he sat up and grabbed her by both wrists, Ada protesting and squirming out of his grip until she saw the look in his eye. She let her face slacken from the angry pout she had adopted from the conversation, and let herself look him sincerely in the eyes with the softness he was giving her. He leaned forward and kissed her, so slowly that she felt everything was happening in slow motion. He kissed her with passion and devotion she hadn't felt in six years. It was the same kiss; when she lay there, bleeding and hurt on that catwalk; he was kissing her as if to say 'I'm sorry I let you down' when there was nothing he could have done to help her. That's what he was saying to her now, a guilty 'sorry' for something he had no control over.

Ada was the one to break the kiss, and she did so without shame.

"I don't need sympathy you know Leon, least of all from you. I've learned to deal with these things, and sympathy doesn't help anybody. It's just a polite gesture, a courtesy I can't afford."

"It's not sympathy that made me kiss you, Ada. Its regret for the fact I didn't do this the moment you pointed your gun at me in that castle. Regret that I haven't done the same every time I saw you from the moment I thought I would never see you again."

"I may regret spoiling the moment, but I think that's the drink talking."

"How do you know I've been drinking?"

"I have what's called a nose."

"Ah, shit. You don't have a breath mint do you?"

"Sorry, I used them all to cure my bad breath this morning."

"I have some mouthwash in the bathroom I think. I'll be right back."

As he got up rather clumsily, Ada watched him with every intent and purpose of following him, but she knew she had to stick to her usual routine. In his drunken state, she knew staying longer than necessary was a bad idea, to begin with. Standing up and checking herself in the mirror, she straightened her dress out and made for the balcony, stopping on the way to pick up a serviette from the kitchen counter. She pressed her red painted lips against it and lay it delicately on the back of the sofa.

_Sorry handsome. Girls gotta do what a girls gotta do._

She climbed swiftly out onto the balcony and made her way down to the street below.

* * *

Leon checked himself over in the mirror of the bathroom. There hadn't been any mouthwash left, so he'd ended up brushing his teeth using half the tube in the process. He still felt shaken from his apparent attack earlier; it seemed so real, yet so dreamlike at the same time. There wasn't even a mark on him. There was a tiny nick on his cheek where he caught himself shaving the other morning – he hated stubble – some guys suited it but on Leon, it just looked odd. There was a red mark on his right arm where he'd burnt it on the stove, but apart from that, he was absent of any evidence he'd been in a fight with a mysterious attacker in red.

_Wait, what did I just think of? A mysterious attacker who wears red? Was he wearing red? Was it even a he?_

Leon couldn't remember anything but the picture he had suddenly got in his head. Was it a red dress they were wearing? No, it couldn't possibly be true… Ada had come running into the room while he was passed out, or so she proclaims. Leon didn't know what to believe from her anymore, but he doubted she would assault him so brutally and then seem so concerned about his wellbeing all of a sudden. Especially after she had saved his life so many times in Spain and Raccoon… then again he wasn't so sure of anything these days. Jack Krauser possibly alive? Wesker reviving Umbrella? A bounty on Leon's head by God knows who. Ada was just the beginning.

He made for the door and paused with his hand on the handle, his mind suddenly snapping back into soberness. He knew what to expect when he opened that door. And in all truthfulness, he didn't want to open the door to an empty apartment once again. He wasn't disappointed; all he found of her was a folded napkin, a red lipstick mark on the bottom.

_At least I get a souvenir_.

He made his way up to the bedroom with heavy footsteps as his tiredness began to kick in. Getting undressed, he placed the napkin lovingly under his pillow. He figured with the night's sleep he had ahead of him, he was going to need it; as a reminder that there was a woman out there yet who could bring him sweet dreams.

* * *

Ada made it down to the sidewalk in no time, her heels clicking against the concrete and echoing in the deserted street as she rounded the corner out of the alley to where her car was parked in the street. She opened her car door with a push of a button on her key fob and went to sit in the driver's seat, only to stop halfway as she noticed what was stuck in the leather of the seat.

It was Leon's combat knife.


	11. Cold Hands

Ada winced inwardly as the cols stethoscope touched her bare skin. It gave her goosebumps with every careful placement along her back and chest.

"Does it  _have_  to be cold every time or is that just an added perk?"

Doctor Christian Connors smirked at her as she slid her shirt back over her head. As soon as she felt the black silk slip over her freezing skin, she felt the goose bumps tingle warmly before evaporating into thin air.

"Sorry, I can't help it being cold, although I wouldn't expect the Ice Queen herself to shiver at something like a stethoscope."

"Have you ever met somebody that hasn't, Ice Queen or not?"

"Come to think of it, no. Point taken."

"Don't worry about it, I just hate examinations. At least you have cold instruments and not cold hands."

"That's because I have a warm heart Miss Wong, which is why I'm a doctor for this company and not a cold-blooded killer. I honestly don't know how you do your job."

"You get used to it."

Ada partly lied to herself then. A part of her enjoyed being the highly skilled spy and secret agent she was known and respected as, and couldn't imagine herself doing anything else. But honestly, the other part of her hated that her job involved killing perfect strangers. Yet it almost worried her that it got harder and harder for her to kill lately. She never resorted to unnecessary violence - some situations need to be handled a little more delicately, but when the situation called for it, conscience was something she couldn't afford to develop.

"Make yourself comfortable Miss Wong; I'll be with you in a moment."

Ada sat on the comfy padded chair in front of his desk as he began typing the results of his examinations into his computer. He seemed to be examining her medical history. Ada smiled nervously as all of her recent viral screenings flashed up on the screen, most of them for killer zombie viruses and parasites. He simply smiled back at her and continued typing. Doctor Connors had a roguish grin when he smiled, a lot like somebody else she knew. He was pretty handsome for an older guy, and Ada wondered why he was still single at his age. After all, he had the whole tall dark and handsome thing going on. He reminded her of George Clooney, only George Clooney suited  _his_  stubble.

"So… what's up Doc?"

"Nothing as far as I can tell. Physically you're in great shape – in fact, your stamina and reflex systems are above normal. Your vitals and stress levels are all normal, although your blood pressure was a little high. But that alone shouldn't be causing your migraines and blackouts.

"I feel absolutely fine, I haven't made any dramatic changes to my lifestyle, I'm still eating well and exercising regularly. I have no idea what could be causing these attacks."

"Hmm, I've taken a blood sample, so I'll do some tests and let you know if I find anything. You do know that I can't clear you for a mission unless I get a Veto from the higher-ups in The Corporation. I suggest you don't let Albert Wesker know about this; it's vital that you stay in full contact with him as long as necessary."

"Yeah, don't remind me. Well, thanks for your time Doctor. I hope I won't be back here anytime soon. Oh and if you don't mind me saying… lose the stubble, it makes you look older than you are."

He smiled at her and tilted his head in a respectful nod as she exited his office without looking back. Ada sighed. She hated doctors, and she hated physicals. What she hated more was having to suffer the process only for there to be nothing beneficial for her whatsoever. Luckily for Ada, the physical examiners who worked for the Corporation were the best that money could buy. If there was something wrong with her, they would find it, and they wouldn't stick her with a couple of antibiotics either.

Ada walked through the busy halls of the medical sector and took a right towards the elevators. She shuddered inwardly as her finger passed over the button for the laboratory floor. She hit the ground floor button and felt the warmth of the working technology as it scanned her fingerprint.

"Good morning Agent Wong"

The automated female voice greeted her as it accepted the command and guided the elevator to the ground floor. She was 21 floors underground, so she decided to fix her lipstick while the elevator worked its way up. When the doors finally opened and the female voice told her she was on the ground floor, she stepped out and made her way down the empty corridor that led to the hotel reception. She scanned her fingerprint and entered the code that opened the door to the civilized world. She smiled at the girl behind the desk as she brushed past all the unsuspecting members of the public that thought she was a member of staff.

"See you tomorrow Kim." The girl smiled at her.

"Have a good shift hun."

The two didn't know each other, but for the sake of The Corporation (and herself) she thought it was best to keep up pretenses. She reached the elevator and pushed the button that took her up to the Executive suites on the top two floors.

_To think I used to be scared of these things._

A small beep in her bag caught her attention. She was alone, so Ada took out her PDA and pressed the answer button. Sure enough, Albert Wesker's face greeted her, cold and unnerving as ever. His sinister voice glided through her earpiece with its usual over annunciating tone.

"Good morning Ada"

"Wesker"

"I see your PDA signal was unattainable yet again. Perhaps you have something to hide? Or is it that you do not want my face to be the first one you see on such an early morning?"

"A little bit of both. Girls gotta have some secrets, and I've had warmer greetings from a self destruct system."

"Indeed. Still, even you aren't as ignorant not to realise that your PDA signal being out of range will keep me from knowing certain secrets."

"Of course, even I'm not that cocky. But don't worry, I'm not doing anything you wouldn't get up to on such a lovely morning. Just taking care of business."

"As I intend you to Miss Wong. I have a birthday gift for you. It is waiting in your suite when you arrive."

The elevator pinged for the top floor and Ada stepped out into the corridor. Her real birthday wasn't for months yet, which meant good old Albert had a fun little assignment for her. A smile spread over her lips as she realised what her 'present' most probably was.

"I can't wait to see what you got me."

The muffled steps of her heels hitting the soft carpet quickened as she neared her room.

"I trust it will be to your liking."

"It usually is. I expect nothing less from you, Wesker."

"Many happy returns."

The screen faded to black instantly, ending the transmission. Ada unlocked her door and stepped into her apartment, eyeing the package immediately. The tag had only one word in looped writing:

Kimberly

Ada opened the parcel to reveal what she had expected; a sniper rifle. The H&K PSG1 rifle used 7.62 x 51mm NATO rounds and held up to 20 rounds with the removable box. Ada was quite impressed with the standard; the PSG1 is considered the most accurate semi-auto in the field and is only used by the most elite forces. Even the scope had a zoom of up to 600m, which would make any target hard to miss. However, Wesker had only provided the standard 5 round magazine, which meant there was a pair of targets or one target, and he didn't want her to miss.

Ada assembled the rifle and turned on her PDA, selecting the current briefing file. Her eyes flicked over the screen but stopped when they reached the name of her target and understood the need for the heavy artillery.

Leon Scott Kennedy.

* * *

Leon sighed and turned over, taking half his quilt with him. He shivered slightly to the exposure of cold morning air. It was just after 9 am and he had barely gotten a wink of sleep all night. He had wandered off to bed soon after discovering Ada's little parting gift from last night, which now rested on his nightstand. It had been roughly 3 am when he finally hit the hay, yet as tired and exhausted as he was from the nights' events, Leon just couldn't manage to drift off. He knew exactly why of course.

_Better the Devil you know I suppose._

Well over 24 hours without sleep wasn't doing his brain any good; he tried counting backward from ten, he tried counting the patterns on his ceiling – he'd even tried counting sheep for Christ's sake, but till he managed to relate it back to Raccoon, Spain, and her. Figuring he could use a little less inspiration, Leon hid the lipstick-marked napkin under his pillow so no matter where he looked, he couldn't see it. Just thinking about the night they spent together here a few nights ago – on this very bed and then comparing it to that heart-aching night he lost everything back in Raccoon. It was more than any man could take. The only reason he kept relating back to those two occasions, in particular, was that they were the only times he had seen the real Ada Wong. And there was no mistake; she was defiantly worth dreaming about.

Leon yearned to know the real her more often, he longed to know her past, her present, her future, her mind, her personality, her body, her life. Of all the things people could possibly want in life; whether it be money, power, fame, world domination, a career, a family, love… Leon wanted none of it. He'd give it all to know the real Ada. Why was it that she only showed him the slightest of glimpses when she was at her weakest? Or sometimes, when she had no idea he was listening.

There was a slight shudder of cold as Leon's memory transported him back to the sewers of Racoon. The smell was suddenly stuck to his clothes and hair, that overpowering smell that invaded his senses. It smelt of death, of blood and sweat and other bodily fluids, of grime, dirt and raw sewage. He smelt the gunpowder and sulfur on his hands and uniform from the hundreds of bullets he had fired. It was so overpowering he could almost taste it as he lowered himself into the murky green water. Yet all he could see was her. That strange and mysterious woman.

She stood on the opposite platform, maybe 15 feet away. Yet it seemed like 10 miles as he trudged through the think grimy waters, his heart seemed to be throbbing in his shoulder and he felt the monster of a hole on his shoulder siphon the blood away from his body… and she just stood there watching him. Something in her face – the slightly shocked yet flattered expression she wore seemed to draw him closer as if he was hypnotised. He struggled to keep himself and his gun above water, yet with every second he held her gaze he had reason to stay surfaced. He finally felt the cold surface as his hand slapped against the concrete, and with all his strength, he pulled his entire body weight out of the water, the added weight of his soaking uniform weighing him down like a ton of bricks.

The woman, Ada, still stood perfectly still, refusing to even help him up as he struggled to rise to her level. It was as if she wanted him to make the effort to come to her. He found her incredibly selfish, stubborn and arrogant, yet still found the need to impress her, protect her, even please her. The strain of the crocodile battle beforehand had taken its toll, along with his bullet wound, and his strength finally gave. He felt a rush of blood from his head and his knees buckled at their own will.

"Leon…"

"Ah… this bullet wound isn't making things any easier…"

"Shhh, quiet Leon, I'll patch you up."

That voice, soft and purring, almost like a lullaby, soothing him and sending him to sleep. His vision went to black yet his senses remained awake. He could feel her gentle touch as she carefully took his shirt off. Her hands worked delicately yet deliberately as she removed his white cotton undershirt tearing it into strips by the sounds. The cold hit him like a rush of wind, chilling him to his very core. He must have stirred somewhat, as Ada's warm hands pushed gently on his chest, making him lean against the wall. They lingered slightly longer than necessary; he felt a slight tingle when she took them away, the essence leaving him almost teasingly slow. She was muttering something to herself; Leon couldn't make it out properly as his hearing came and went.

"Still clean…almost hit bone… blood loss… tissue… pulse high but thready… delirious… money… need a raise…stupid cop… heroic… maybe I was wrong…"

She worked quickly and professionally, wrapping the strips of fabric around his shoulder and chest. She lifted him ever so slowly away from the wall to wrap the makeshift bandages around his back, placing him softly back against the wall and slipping his still wet shirt over his head. Leon tried to open his eyes, yet couldn't so much as manage that as mutter her name. After a few minutes, he felt his strength return; he could feel his hearing returning and his mind clearing. He now understood that he had passed out and was starting to come around.

"Aaaa… Aaaddd"

"Leon? Leon, I don't know if you can hear me… you were bleeding a lot and you blacked out, I had to use your shirt to… you can't hear me. Well, I owe you a new t-shirt anyhow. God… why did you do that? You really are stupid you know that? Saving my life twice… you don't even know me. Any normal cop would have let me run off on my own a long time ago. But you…Then again, none of the other cops I've met survived anywhere near as long as you. Maybe you do have brains… sorry. It's not every day I meet a heroic cop that's as stubborn as I am."

Leon tried to sit up properly, but couldn't manage more than a pathetic flail of his good arm. Ada didn't notice.

"I suppose I'm just trying to figure out if you're more of a gift or a curse. The truth is I'm scared I'm not gonna make it out of this one. I've been on some suicidal missions in my time but this one… well, I've never actually thought about death before, even in my line of work. I thought I was going to die for sure when that bitch fired at me, but the way you threw yourself in front of that bullet, without a moment's thought, no-one has ever done anything like that for me before. I guess you're not just some headstrong cop trying to impress me after all. "

Leon opened his eyes; she was facing away from him, cuddling her legs into her chest and staring into the murky sewer water. She seemed to be shivering slightly. He felt his speech return to him but decided to remain quiet for now.

"God knows I could use a knight in shining armor right about now. In fact, you might do a decent job. If only I didn't have to… the truth is I'd like nothing more than to escape here with you. Maybe you could even whisk me away to some tropic beach where nobody would ever find us and you could protect me, and I'd protect you in turn. It's a shame we can't really, and I was just getting to know you."

Leon decided he'd heard enough. He began to sit up slowly, making as much noise as possible to let her know he was back with her. She stood up and spun to face him in one fluid motion, rather gracefully Leon noticed. She immediately began inspecting his bandages, but he noticed she was really just playing with the frayed edges of the cotton.

"That's two I owe you."

Leon could swear he saw a tint of pink in her cheeks. He thought about giving her a piece of his mind like he did at the sewer entrance, telling her she was reckless to run after a strange lady with a gun, that it was disrespectful and cold-hearted of her to leave him on his own when he'd been shot, and then got herself into trouble yet again. He thought about it but realised she was in the same boat as him, and despite her cold exterior, she was only looking for a way out, just like he was.

"Don't mention it."

"I had to tear your shirt up to make those bandages, I didn't want it getting infected and you were losing a lot of blood. I hope that's comfortable enough, I've never really done this before."

"No. it's fine, they're tight but not restrictive. You did a good job. Thanks."

There was a long silence as they both looked at each other, filling the space between them with everything they wanted to say to each other. Ada broke the gaze first, staring at the floor.

"I just found out…John's dead."

"What?"

She said nothing, she merely sighed and turned her back on him.

"Never mind. Let's just get out of here, the sooner the better."

_It's weird… she doesn't even seem sad, more like it was expected in the first place. But if she knew he was dead, why would she come here to look for him? Surely the news of her boyfriend's death would have upset her a little more than that though?_

Ada stepped up the ladder in front of Leon and proceeded to climb. Leon paused on the bottom rung, his hands resting on the cold steel. She didn't even stop to check if he was okay, she just assumed he would follow in his own time. All this mystery surrounding her and her reasons for being here; he had no reason whatsoever to believe she was who she said she was. Yet Leon still had every urge to find out just who she really was. Ada was now near the top of the ladder, and as Leon laid a hand on the next rung, he had no objections to following her to the top without looking down.

* * *

Leon snapped his eyes open. He was sweating and felt disorientated from his sudden awakening.

_What an odd part in a dream to be shocked out of…_

He had a strange feeling that said his instinct was trying to tell him something. Sure enough, a second later his cell phone began ringing. He reached in his pants pocket, that lay on the floor and answered the phone before the third ring.

"Hello?"

"Leon, I don't have much time to explain, so just listen and don't ask questions."

"Ada?"

"You need to get out of your apartment as soon as humanly possible. I'm being watched, I'm coming over and when I get there you had better be gone. I'll meet you at the Washington monument in around 40 minutes, take a weapon with you and I'll explain everything when we meet."

"Ada, what…"

There was a click as Ada hung up.

_Great! Just my fricking luck!_

Reluctantly, Leon began loading his 9mm handgun and VP70, harnessing them along with his combat knife and throwing on some old pants and a jacket. Cursing under his breath, he left his apartment, climbed into his Jeep and started the engine, hoping that whatever shit she had gotten him into didn't involve him staring down the barrel of a gun or running for his life.


	12. Catch Me If You Can

Leon honked the horn of his jeep for the fifth time. The female driver in front was apparently having trouble finding a parking spot, even though one stood mere feet in front of her.

"Come on, there's a space right there! Why the hell aren't you moving? Oh great… she's actually reversing!"

Leon honked his horn again as she stopped mere inches away from his front bumper.

_Jesus, is she blind or something?_

!I can't go back any further, just park over there!"

The woman began to drive incredibly slowly into the parking bay, much to the relief of Leon and the five other cars now queuing behind him. Leon reflexively went to check his watch again and realised he had left it at home. He guessed he was around forty minutes late as it stood. The traffic was terrible the whole way here, and he must have been gridlocked just outside the monument for at least fifteen minutes. To top it all, the clock on his dashboard blinked 12:00 at him in short intervals, almost rubbing it in his face that he could well be even more than forty minutes late. And the world's worst driver was still only halfway into her parking spot.

"What's the problem, your half way the… no, don't back out!"

_Shit. Stupid women drivers._

Within a further two minutes, the woman had finally backed out and drove on to the end of the parking lot, leaving Leon the empty bay, which he filled within five seconds. Having finally parked, Leon bound out of his jeep and practically sprinted over to the monument, instantly enveloping himself in a large crowd of tourists with flashing cameras. No sooner had he caught his breath, he felt a woman's presence at his side.

"Look straight ahead and follow me on the count of three."

The familiar voice purred in his ear, but it sounded different this time. She seemed very shaky, in fact, he would go as far as to say she sounded scared. And considering it was Ada Wong who has just whispered in his ear, he'd say something was very wrong. He burned to ask her so many questions, he was sick of being left in the dark about everything, but he knew more than anybody that questions could come later if the situation called for it.

Leon counted to three and followed suit, forcing his way through a sea of flashing cameras and people of all sizes, some much taller than him, making it even harder to follow the Asian spy. Even in the midday heat and with a glaring sun in his eyes, Leon still felt the cold chill of the November wind nip at his skin; of course, he had left in a rush and had only worn a thin t-shirt and a light jacket.

He finally caught up with her, only to find that Ada was wearing a think leather jacket and large aviator sunglasses.

" _Damn she looks good"_

"Ada… what's –"

"I'm being followed, I don't have time to explain, just get in my car and follow my instructions before he catches up with us."

They were stood next to her car, a Ferrari Maranello, in red of course.

" _This_  is your car?"

Ada didn't answer; instead, she opened the door and slid smoothly into the driver's seat, with Leon getting in the passenger side.

"Buckle up!" He quipped, clicking his seat belt into place. She took off from the parking lot at lightning speed, the Ferrari's engine growling as she stepped up the gears and made her way to the first back street she could find. Hitting a T-bend, Ada didn't even slow down; the tires screeched and smoked as she performed a perfect handbrake turn, knocking the cars speed even higher as she hit a practically deserted road.

_Holy frick, this woman can drive!_

Ada glanced nervously at her rear-view mirror – surely enough, a black Corvette was emerging from the t-junction they had passed not too long ago, and it was gaining speed. No doubt given all the attention they must have gotten performing Ada's little trick back there hadn't made them too hard to follow. They were now approaching traffic lights at a cross section, and Ada still didn't show signs of slowing down. Almost as if they could sense there was a chase in the midst, the traffic lights turned from red to amber for the East-West flow of traffic. Ada pumped the gas pedal as hard as she could, the car's engine roaring with speed as they almost plowed into the side of a range rover.

Having presumably lost their assailant for a few seconds at least, Leon now felt it was time to release his grip on the leather seat, as his knuckles had turned white.

"Jesus, Ada, are you trying to kill us both or give me a heart attack first?"

Whether she felt guilty for getting him into this mess or she was just concentrating on the road, Ada simply stared ahead and didn't answer. Before he had even noticed the black Corvette practically tailing them now, Ada performed a tight wheel spin and took a very narrow route down a one-way street. They had entered what seemed like a rundown area of town, they were surrounded by very old, empty-looking buildings. Suddenly screeching to a halt, Ada turned to Leon with a dead set look on her face and a piercing look in her eyes. It told him he needed to do as he was told.

"Get out the car, find a way into the building behind you without causing attention and find a place to hide. I'll be back in a few minutes."

"But what about…"

"Just GO!"

He didn't hesitate. He shot out of the car and sprinted hard round the back of the run-down building. He heard the screech of tires and in a trail of exhaust fumes, Ada was gone. He managed to find a shabby looking door near the back next to a roller shutter, and as he slammed his shoulder into the light wooden frame, he hoped to god that whatever she had planned, she knew what she was doing.

* * *

"Come on you piece of shit!"

Ada vented her frustration as the Ferrari reached maximum speed. She had made her way onto another long two-way street that had been relatively empty, meaning her assailant had now caught up with her and was dangerously close in her sights. So close, in fact, she could see his face in the rearview.

_How the hell am I gonna get rid of this bastard?_

She swerved around the path of a slow-moving garbage truck and racked her brains for a solution. Some way to make him think there won't be any Ada Wong left to hunt down…

Then she saw it.  **Caution: road closed, demolition scheduled at 14:30**

Ada checked the clock on the dashboard: 14:27

_Thanks, big guy, I owe you one._

"Catch me if you can asshole"

Ada crashed through the road sign with minimum effort and roared into the concrete yard of an old factory. Pumping the gas pedal to the floor, Ada headed straight for the indoor loading bays. Crashing through a small wooden barricade, she noticed the large warehouse was littered with rusting shipment containers. As she prepared to corner herself in the nearest one, only one thought crossed her mind. She didn't care if she killed the guy following her, she didn't care what happened to her car- she didn't even care if she escaped the impending explosion in time. All that mattered to her was that Leon Kennedy was in a safe place, waiting for her to return and finally answer his questions.

* * *

Leon had been waiting in the dark, cold, smelly storeroom for the best part of thirty minutes. Then again, without a starting time to go by, he was crap at timekeeping. However, sitting there for as long as he had, he'd plenty of time to count the minutes.

He seemed to have made his way through an old clothes store, sitting in a large stockroom full of metal shelves and old rotting boxes just out back of the storefront. The place stunk of dampness, rotting wood, and cardboard, and with all the broken windows and skylights above him, that cold wind from earlier nipped at his skin harder than before; it was like someone was trying to wake him up from a dream he had no idea he was having.

_Come on Ada, what's taking so long?_

He gripped his nine mil tight, squeezing the handle, more to warm up the grip than in anticipation. He hated having nothing to do and everything to worry about. What if she had gotten herself hurt doing one of those insane stunts in a bid to lose track of that creep that was following her? And anyway, why did she have him meet up with her only to ditch me again if she knew she was being followed? Why would she put us both in danger by exposing us like that? Leon decided he was finally fed up of being left in the dark all the time – literally. If Ada ever met up with him in this shitty place, for a hideout, he would demand to know everything she knew about the mess she had gotten him into or she could kiss his ass if she ever tried to contact him again.

_And if she doesn't come back?_   _Well, I'd…_

"Goddamn it Ada, you can drive faster than a Formula One racer but you can't find your way back to this hellhole of a hiding place?"

"You're welcome handsome."

Leon spun around to find the dark-haired assassin pointing a gun in his face yet again. Somehow he knew she would find a way to do that, he almost expected it from her nowadays. She looked a little dirty and breathless, but otherwise, she was as cocky as ever.

"And if that's your thanks to me for saving your ass back there, you can pick your own damn spot next time."

"Couldn't have shown up on time though? I must have waited thirty minutes for you in this dump."

"You can talk handsome, you were forty-eight minutes late for our little rendezvous."

"Forty-Eight, that's pretty exact, you sure it wasn't forty?"

"Forty-Eight. See I have good time keeping skills – and I brought a watch."

"Haha, very funny; although that was technically your fault. Now can you put the gun down and explain why we're in this mess?"

"Hmm, I don't know if I've forgiven you for keeping me waiting."

Still, Ada lowered her gun, smirking to herself as she did so. Leon did the same, tucking his standard nine mil back into its holster under his jacket.

"To be fair, you almost killed me in that death warrant of a car ride back there. I had no idea you were such a reckless driver."

There seemed to be a flash of guilt in her eyes as she glanced at him, but it was gone in a second. She turned her back to him and folded her arms. Apparently, she did feel some remorse for putting him in danger. Leon felt bad for making fun, she was probably saving his ass, just like she said earlier, although Leon had no idea what from yet.

"Ada, what's wrong?"

"This is all my fault… I shouldn't have gotten involved with you outside of the mission. I've been weak and selfish and now we're both in deep shit cause I thought I'd get away with it and avoid paying the consequence."

"Hey, whatever this is, I'll do whatever I can to get us both out of it, but I can't do jack if you don't tell me what's going on. And mean everything, not just white lies or need to know basics. Tell me, Ada."

"Wesker gave me an assignment today, my first solo hit since Spain. He wants me to assassinate someone. That person is you. Which is why I brought you here, I wanted to make it look as though I was going to kill you, but they sent another agent after me to make sure I went through with it, so I had to get you to a safe place and make it look as if I had gotten us both killed and make Wesker think it too, if not or a while anyway."

"Well I can't say I'm surprised, I've been waiting for him to send someone after me since Spain, and I'm pretty sure he's behind those goons that tried to kill me at the motel. I just figured once he found out about me being in Racoon with you too he'd send you to do the job. But why is that guy following  _you as well_  if he wants me dead?"

"Because now that he knows I'm not going to kill you, he has an excuse to kill me too. Breach of contract. That's why he sent his toughest agent after us to get us out the way."

"That was his toughest agent? The guy you got rid of in... what ... fifteen minutes?"

"I didn't get rid of him. I killed him, but he'll be back for us."

"What? Who is this guy, The Terminator?"

Ada turned to face him with a grim look on her face. A look that said, 'you ain't gonna like what's coming'. And he didn't.

"Jack Krauser."


	13. Sweet Dreams

Darkness. It was all she could see; could feel.

_Am I dead?_

Ada tried to open her eyes, and eventually, they flickered open. Harsh Orange light stung her eyes and she had to squint to make out her surroundings. Darkness above her. The cold metal beneath her skin. Pain in her entire body. Then she felt the heat.

_Oh God, I've died and gone to hell_

She struggled to move, adjusting to the fresh pains as she sat up; sirens in the distance, blaring something about an emergency…

_This is worse than hell; I'm still in Raccoon freaking City._

Ada shook her head and stood up on her shaking legs, she felt as if all the energy had been sapped out of them and walking was a terrible chore. Looking around, she realised she was on one of the bottom levels in the underground laboratory. A huge metal catwalk wound around a gigantic electric generator that was letting of sparks at regular intervals. A large glow surrounded the air in front of her, and as she walked to the edge of the railing, she realised it was a massive vat of chemicals, although at the temperature they were being kept at it looked like a small volcano; the lava-like substance boiling and popping with simmering ferociousness.

_How the hell did I get all the way down here?_

Darkness; it was the last thing she could remember… and that quivering rush in her stomach as she fell for what seemed like an eternity. She was a hell of a long way down… how was it possible she could survive a fall like that and still be walking – well, limping – around? Ada felt more blood trickle down her shoulder, and peeled the blood-stained fabric of her dress back to reveal the bullet wound from…

_From the bitch who shot me._

Her right side stung like a mother from her ride on the transport lift – Birkin thought it appropriate to tear her a new one just as she was reaching her objective and for the first time in over 24 hours making progress. But your okay, he took care of you and your okay. He wanted to escape with you so he patched you up and went to find an escape route, and…

_And I let go of his hand._

He had tried to save her worthless but yet again even after she threatened to kill him over a tube of liquid zombie maker. He knew Annette had told him the truth about her and he still tried to save her, even when she pointed that gun at him and confirmed every horrible conclusion he had most likely come to. She betrayed him in the worst way possible, he found out you're a cold-hearted manipulative killer who steals bio-weapons for huge corporations as a day job, and he  _still_  wants to run off into the sunset you.

"Leon, please forgive me."

It was the last thought, the thought of him that shot panic through her system.

_I let go of his hand so he could escape… what if he never made it out, what if I ruined any chance of us escaping together just for him to die because of a ticking clock…. Shit, the self destruct!_

Ada suddenly spurred to life, the pain in her body suddenly not as important as the need to run. She probably had minutes to escape the labs – and being a good few hundred floors beneath the surface she had no way of getting out. Not only that, she had to leave the emergency cargo train on the bottom floor free for Leon to escape if he was still alive. Her only hope was up – the emergency elevators would be working now, and she had the master key…

She sprinted across the platform, feeling nothing of the agony she previously tolerated, rounding the corner – and stopped in her tracks. There it was. The very thing that had got her in this shitty mess in the first place. The little tube that had almost cost her life was glinting up at her innocently. She picked it up and rolled it between her fingers, admiring its simplicity and fearing it potential. Even if she made it out, Wesker would never trust her again and she would be deemed expendable. Then she smiled as a thought crossed her mind; she could kill two birds with one stone and please more than one of her employers. All she needed was a radio signal…

Pocketing the vial, she sprinted for the door, hoping the big guy would be as friendly with her as he was the last time she made contact.

"Leon, be safe, I promise I'll repay you someday."

Ada vowed her only mission from that day would be to survive… and to see Leon Kennedy's face one last time, even if he couldn't see hers.

There was a flutter in her stomach, that same feeling of falling from a great height that seemed to accompany most of her dreams. That rush of adrenaline, the sudden outburst of fear as she prepared for the impact that would inevitably kill her…

And slowly she opened her eyes. Pale moonlight poured through the shabby thin curtains of the tiny room. Her hair was stuck to her forehead and her skin was glazed in a thin layer of sweat. She felt the butterflies subside and her heart rate return to normal.

_That night, the memories so vivid all of a sudden, everything used to seem so distant and blurry… as if I was watching someone else's dream through a dirty telescope. Why is it now starting to come back to me when I've spent the last six years trying to forget?_

The bathroom door opened and Ada jumped slightly, not out of surprise, but because Leon had stepped into the room dripping wet and wearing nothing but a towel wrapped tightly around his waist. His hair was clinging to his forehead and creeping down over his eye level, forcing him to brush a hand across and push it back. He practically jumped ten feet when he looked up and saw that Ada was looking right at him. The cool air had hit his body and beads of condensation were forming across his entire body… and Ada's jaw just about hit the floor.

"Ada, your awake… sorry I was, uh, hoping to get changed before you uh, woke up."

He groped his towel nervously and shrunk back into the safety of the bathroom doorway. Whether it was his embarrassment, the escaping heat from the bathroom or the image she now had permanently stored in her brain like a screensaver, Ada felt the temperature of the room rise considerably. She hoped she wasn't blushing as he put on her best flirtatious tone.

"Don't worry, if you want you can change in here, I promise I won't look."

She noticed his shirt and pants lying on a chair across the room and couldn't help but smile, knowing that he had at some point in the night been walking around in his boxers alone.

_Too bad I was asleep…_

"Uh, if you could just turn around one second that would be fine."

Ada obliged, flicking the covers around to her left and swiveled her body ever so slightly towards the window. She turned her head away but knew she would risk a peak once he was in her peripheral vision.

"Only a second huh?"

He gave a little nervous chuckle that seemed more like a half-hearted grunt, and she wondered why he was so bothered about her seeing him like that. It wasn't like he was this shy the last time they spent a night together, she had seen him in his underwear – true it was only a few brief seconds before he got into bed but still, he trusted her enough at the time.

_Maybe that's just it though, maybe he's lost his trust in you, the number of times you've screwed him over lately it's hardly surprising, or maybe he just got caught off guard._

Leon scurried over to the chair and picked up his clothes, hoisting his boxers up along the way. Ada chose not to look as he hurried back to the bathroom, wondering if she was because she felt as vulnerable that night as he was feeling now. She remembered how much she had let her guard down, not because she wanted to, but because she needed to. She remembered how much she trusted him and expected him to trust her, but not to understand and comfort her in the way he did. After all, they had been through; she was amazed at how much he seemed to care for her. He re-entered the room again moments later with a slightly less pink flush to his face and seemed to be back to his normal self.

"Sorry about that, now where did we get up to earlier?"

"As I recall I hadn't gotten far before we took a nap."

"Okay, just fill me in as best you can – anything you can tell me I want to know no matter how small a detail."

"Alright, here we go."

Leon took a seat on the edge of her bed and Ada took a deep breath, hoping to get everything out without stopping too much.

"The reason I asked you to meet up with me this morning, is because Wesker has a price on your head, and now he has a price on mine. I received a package that morning, detailing my mission. Wesker wanted me to send you to a public location on the pretense of meeting up with you. He provided me with equipment too, a PSG1 Sniper rifle. He wanted me to assassinate you in public so there would be plenty of witnesses.

His face was dead set. He didn't even seem slightly shocked that she could have quite easily killed him. If it was possible, Ada respected him even more at that moment.

"Obviously, as soon as I got the briefing I realised he must have found out I've been working indirectly with you and helping you out on your missions. He must have known I wouldn't go through with it, plus he's probably found out by now that I've kept other things from him, and if there's one thing Wesker hates its disloyalty."

"You betrayed Wesker? How did you manage that?"

"The sample… I kept the real one and sent him a fake one. A dead parasite that hadn't started decomposition yet. We took the parasite from its host and let it die, that way we could keep Wesker occupied with it while we studied the real one."

"Who's 'we'?"

"The Organisation, n independent vigilante operations force intent on counteracting bio-terrorists and making sure their bioweapons aren't used against the public at all costs. We try to save the test subjects from experimentation whenever we can and exterminate the ones we can't save. Most of the time the effects are irreversible and the subjects have to be destroyed, whether they be animals, mammals, plants, even humans. Not that by the time we reach them there's much left of them to be salvaged as 'human'. Needles to say Wesker has been top of our Christmas list now for about a decade."

Leon simply stared at her. He seemed to dive into her eyes and search deep within her for an answer she didn't know the question to. He stared at her for several minutes but it seemed so much longer to her. It made her feel vulnerable and exposed like he could reach deep within her soul and pull out the real Ada if he wanted to. The Ada she had trained, no,  _forced_  herself to lock away and never let out. It was the part of her that died many years ago, yet simply by being there with her, that side that was cold calculating and heartless melted away. All that was left was the young girl that wanted to cry when she was alone and despised the person she had become.

"Ada – I had no idea… why didn't you tell me any of this before? Why couldn't you trust me instead of leading me on, lying to me?  _Betraying_  me?"

"Because I had to. I'm a double agent. It's my job to lie, I had to keep up pretenses with Wesker in order to earn his trust and help the Organisation. If either one of my covers was blown I would be responsible for letting Albert Wesker loose on the world with nobody capable of stopping him. I had to make everybody believe I was truly on his side."

"Even me?"

"Especially you Leon. But now I guess all the lies and backstabbing can stop."

He looked down at his hands while he fiddled with the cotton of her sheets. He was making an excuse not to look at her. She must have hurt him so much over these years.

"Leon I want you to know something. Nothing has hurt me more than having to earn your trust and then throw it back in your face time and time again. If I had some way of avoiding it I would have done it, but I see I've hurt you deeply and I can't take that away, and for that, I'm truly sorry."

Leon was gazing at her with such awe and respect that she felt even more self-conscious than before. In fact, she'd never been so self-aware in her entire life. Still, she gazed back at him with that same respect.

"Can I ask you something, Leon?"

"Anything."

"Do you ever feel self-conscious around me? I noticed you got all shy all of a sudden earlier, are you not comfortable with me anymore?"

"I feel self-conscious around you all the time, but it's not because of you. To tell you the truth, I just haven't been comfortable with myself lately."

"Why not?"

"Because of my scars. Every time I look in the mirror I see what each one means to me. I've been shot and injured on duty, I've had broken bones and bruises on every part of my body, I've been cut up and stitched back together so many times I've lost count. As each new scar appears on my body I realise not a single one doesn't haunt me somehow. I'm 27 years old and I'm scared that this may be all my life has in store for me. Day after day of risk-taking and life-threatening situations. The worst thing of all though is that I'm  _choosing_  to do this to myself. I'm voluntarily ruining my own life and any chance of it ever becoming normal. I guess I'm just scared about a lot of things right now."

"Let me see them."

"What?"

"I want you to show me the real you, scars and all. I want you to show me each and every one of them no matter how horrible or how ugly you think they may be."

Leon understood what she was trying to do. She could see it in his eyes. She never took her gaze off him as he undressed slowly and deliberately, purposefully showing her every angle. The first one she noticed was on his right calf, a small white line ran across his leg.

"I broke my leg when I was 19, I was still a rookie at the training academy and I got injured during one of the training exercises. I had to have the bone screwed back into place."

A larger, pinkish line ran across his left thigh, just below the hem of his boxer shorts.

"Stabbed while undercover for the government a few months before I got signed to the president. I went to arrest a guy and I disarmed him, only for him to pull a knife on me before I could find it. Left me with about twenty stitches. The irony is; now I always carry a knife on me in case I'm in the same situation."

He removed his shirt, the mark making itself known as soon as the fabric slid over his skin. The large red gash that ran diagonally from his right shoulder blade looked very recent.

"Spain. One of the Ganado's caught me with a hatchet from behind before I could dodge it. Lucky I had a tetanus shot before I left. Still hurts when I shower and I can't sleep too heavily on it."

He turned around to face Ada, his face still and set. His eyes burned with certainty. He seemed strangely proud somehow… then Ada realised what it was. He grabbed her hand and placed her fingers over the small white scar, pressing her hand on it delicately. It was shaped like an explosion off of a firework, it reminded her somewhat of a burning fuse; Ada could swear she could feel the heat from it as it burned brightly against the skin on his shoulder.

"This is my biggest one. I got it saving the life of the most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on. Not a day goes by I don't think about it, but it's the only scar on my body I'd gladly go through the pain of getting if I had to do it again."

Ada seemed to hold her breath for the longest of seconds before doing something she had been waiting to do for six years. She leaned forward and kissed him, pulling him closer until she could smell the soap on his skin, feeling the softness of his still damp hair. Her lips locked with his and they gently caressed before pulling away agonisingly slowly; her top lip soon finding his way back onto his bottom, her tongue seductively sliding along the grove that met in the middle. Leon's hand worked its way to the small of her back, pulling her closer. It wasn't until Ada broke the kiss that she realised her hand was pressed on his left shoulder. She looked into his eyes and her hand shot away, like a knee jerk reaction to touching something hot. She felt something then, something she had no idea how to deal with, and although it terrified her, she embraced it for the moment.

_Get a grip, Ada, don't do this now._

"So, what do we do now?"

"You get dressed. And I go take a shower. We'll decide what happens when I'm finished."

"I'll be sure to stay awake for that then."

"Let's just hope I don't forget my towel."

Leon smiled at her from the bed, and Ada smiled back, not her usual suggestive smirk, but a genuine smile. His eyes never left her until she shut the bathroom door, making a note to conveniently forget her clothes.


	14. Sweet Dreams (part 2)

Ada lay staring at the ceiling in the darkness of the room. Only the tiniest beams of pale light shone into the room from the already rising sun. The morning was here, and she still hadn't got a wink of sleep. She rolled over and sighed quietly to herself.

_I guess one more look wouldn't hurt_

She rolled onto her other side and pulled the covers right up to her chin, just in case he'd woken up in the last two minutes. She scrunched up into a ball and after what seemed like a lifetime, finally had the courage to open her eyes. He was sound asleep. His chest gave an almost melodic rise and fall. His hands lay across his chest, one above the cover that was strewn lazily over his midsection. His hair covered the top half of his face and most of one eye, and every so often, his breathing was interrupted with the cutest nose twitch she had ever seen.

_God help me, I'm like a mother with a baby_

Ada had been watching Leon sleep ever since they had agreed to go to bed at a rather timid 10.30pm. However, it had been a long day and they were going to need all the rest they could afford if what Ada had in mind were to go to plan. At this rate, Ada may well become one of the living dead when morning truly hits. It was a fact that if she didn't get her beauty sleep, Ada attained certain zombie-like qualities. Not very attractive at all. Suddenly, Leon stirred. He brought a hand up to scratch his head, then after a second, let it flop lifelessly back onto his chest as he fell into his deep sleep once again. Ada sighed with relief.

_Okay, you've had your look, now roll over and go to sleep._

_I said go to sleep._

Finally, Ada listened to her brain and quickly turned over, scrunching her eyes closed before they got stuck focusing like crazy on Leon Kennedy; and the part she was staring at he probably wouldn't find flattering. The tiny rays that chipped away at the dark complexion of the room were getting stronger. If she had any hope of being even half her best tomorrow, she knew now was the time to get some shut-eye. Yet all she could think about was how utterly gorgeous he looked when he slept. Whether she was just tired, lonely or the fact that she hadn't gotten any since the Bay of Pigs, Ada felt something for him. It was stronger than anything she had ever felt before, and she had no idea what it was.

_Yes you do Ada, stop telling yourself that. It's time you admitted the truth to yourself about him and stopped running away from the possibility that he might feel the same way. You're too scared to even say it aloud aren't you?_

"I love him"

Ada heard shuffling behind her and turned over to see Leon shuffling uncomfortably. He was mumbling something, but she couldn't make out a word he was saying.

"Nooo, Aaaa doonn, don-le-go, no, Aaaa..."

_I can't take any more of this._

She shoved her covers aside and walked the few strides to his bed at the other side of the room. She sat down on the edge of the bed, her stomach practically doing backflips inside her as she listened to his heavy, irrational breathing.

_It's okay, go ahead, he won't bite…_

Ada breathed slowly as she brought her hand ever so slowly up to his face.

"Leon?…"

"AAH!"

He jolted out of his bad dream, his body snapping forward in a split second. Ada snatched her hand away as if it had just touched a naked flame, holding it as if it hurt. After a second or two, Leon closed his eyes again and let out a loud breath as he let himself flop lazily back down on the mattress. He was breathing normally again and the rise and fall on his chest returned back to its normal rhythm.

"L-Leon? Are you alright? You were having a bad dream…"

"Mm-hm"

He responded without opening his eyes or even moving a muscle. He looked absolutely worn out.

_Ask him, you know you won't sleep until you do_

"Leon, what were you dreaming about?"

He rolled onto his back, keeping his eyes closed. He seemed half asleep again already.

"Nothin'. Just a dream anyway."

"It can't be nothing if you got as worked up as that. You sure you don't wanna tell me?"

He opened his eyes, and Ada expected him to snap. He didn't. He spoke in a soft, assuring tone; Ada suddenly realised how tired he looked and wondered how many nights he had spent like this.

"It's nothing. I'm fine now. Don't worry about it."

He closed his eyes again. Ada dared to lean closer and put a hand across his chest.

"I have bad dreams too. About Raccoon, Spain. They scare the crap outta me every time."

He didn't open his eyes. He laid a hand on hers and stroked it gently with his thumb. Ada thought her heart was going to burst out of her chest. Neither of them moved for a while.

"Ada"

"Hmm?"

"Can I sleep in your bed tonight?" Ada smiled to herself at his forwardness.

"How about I squeeze in with you?" There was a short pause as she noticed the hint of a smile for the tiniest of moments.

"Okay"

Ada slipped under the covers, snuggling herself neatly in the crevice between his shoulder and neck. Her head lay over the fuse-shaped scar she had seen earlier. She hadn't seen that bullet wound in six years. It seemed so much bigger up close. Ada could feel the heat radiating from his clammy skin. She brushed a hand through his hair, letting her fingertips delicately caress his cheek before starting the movement again.

"Goodnight, handsome."

He didn't reply; he was sound asleep once again, peacefully as before. Ada felt like joining him. She closed her eyes and let herself drift slowly and seamlessly to sleep. She allowed herself to mutter two words before her first moments of uneventful sleep in several days.

"Sweet Dreams"


	15. The Sound of Silence

"Holy shit…"

Ada walked over to a shelf on Leon's left and searched around at the very top. She let a smile spread across her lips and chuckled.

"That's what I said"

Ada had taken Leon to The Organisation's underground headquarters in order to see if she could bargain with her superiors for a little protection for them both. By protection, Leon had thought they would send the pair to a safe house and arm them to the teeth with weapons and bodyguards. He guessed Ada's dictionary carried a different meaning of the word; they were now stood in the largest armory Leon had ever seen. The room itself wasn't so much a room as a circular vault, every inch of its walls covered in weapons, ammo caches, body armor, grenades, mines, holsters, harnesses – even swords and rapiers hung decoratively in cases.

"Certainly is a round room"

"Don't make fun, I got you here, I can throw you out"

Leon knew she was joking, but he kept his mouth shut all the same. After the amount of persuading Ada had to do just to keep him from being taken into their custody was trial enough. It was Leon after all their agents couldn't trust, being an outsider. However, Ada had vouched for him and after a thorough search and questioning, believed being hunted down by an indestructible B.O.W made by Wesker was proof enough.

Looking around the room, Leon spied something from the corner of his eye and immediately bound over to inspect it. He could just about lift the thing; it probably should have been mounted on the bottom of a helicopter. Leon lugged the 26mm Vulcan Cannon over to the middle of the room and posed for a giggling Ada.

"What d'ya think?"

"It's definitely you; think your scrawny ass can carry that thing through laser corridors and booby traps?"

"I could if I had biceps bigger than my face"

"Or if you were Arnold Schwarzenegger"

Leon laughed and but the hugely impractical minigun back in its case. He was almost sure the aptly named weapon had given him a hernia.

Ada had finished collecting weapons and was beginning to strap herself up with various belts and holsters. She had picked a fitting arsenal; a pair of Mac 11 Ingram's, a lightweight sawn-off shotgun, and a 45. SOCOM pistol. Each was designed for a perfect balance of speed and firepower.

Leon had currently grabbed a VP70 Pistol and was looking for its customising accessories.

"Will you hurry up? Time is of the essence here"

"I know, sorry, I can't help it though, this place is awesome!"

Ada smiled at his rather geeky and somewhat childish remark and decided to let him have his fun for now. Ada simply stood and watched him root around excitedly like a kid in a candy store. After strapping up and venturing back and forth to change weapons for the fifth time he had spotted something new, he finally left with a VP70 customised, same as Raccoon (it served him as a good luck charm on more than one occasion) a 50. AE Desert Eagle and an H&K MP5 equipped with a silencer and three rates of fire. They were both armed with Kevlar vests and combat knives to boot. They were as ready as they were ever going to be.

"You ready Stud?"

"Locked and loaded"

Then let's go introduce you to the man himself. I'm taking you to meet Albert Wesker.

* * *

Leon rolled his window down a little more and let the cold wind blast into the car. He yawned once again, Ada noticed.

"You sure you don't want me to drive?"

"No thanks, I'd like to get there in one piece if that's alright"

She knew he was joking, but Ada still felt a little offended by his criticism of her driving. She hated that women were stereotyped as bad drivers and discouraged being labeled if she could help it… even if the statement wasn't  _entirely_  false.

"Fine, next time a sadistic, ruthless maniac is chasing us ill drive slow"

"I didn't mean it like that"

"Oh, and he's superhuman, did I mention superhuman?"

"Several times, yes. And believe me, I won't forget in a hurry. So, do we have some sort of plan or are we just hoping for the best?"

Ada had to admit, she hadn't thought that far ahead. In any case, she preferred to wing it in situations like these. Besides, some form of a solution was usually at hand somehow. It just took a sharp mind, some skill and a hell of a lot of luck to find it. Luckily for Ada, she possessed all three.

"Up to now all I've got is; infiltrate the complex, find Krauser and get him out of the way, take anybody else with him that gets in our way and track down the man himself. We should be able to handle it from there"

"And if Wesker escapes?"

"There should be some clues as to where other laboratories and hideouts are located. We crush them one by one until we find him. Better than playing hide and seek that's for certain. Wesker tends to be a bit of a sore loser"

Ada wasn't stupid. She knew how powerful he was, and she knew she had no chance of killing him. She just wanted to trap him somehow, imprison him long enough for The Organisation to take some form of action. What that was, they hadn't briefed her on, and Ada didn't care about the details. As long as he was out of her hair for good, they could do whatever the hell they liked with Albert Wesker.

"So we're on our own out here, huh?"

Ada nodded slowly, she felt butterflies pounding against her stomach, her hands weren't exactly steady. It was a big mission they were taking, and there was a chance one or both of them might not make it back.

"The company didn't want to risk exposure to Wesker or anybody that works for him – what little power we have over him anyway.

_If I can get him into their custody, however…_

They both fell silent for a long time. There was a large amount of pressure on both of them; they were The Organisation's only hope at stopping Wesker. Without them, five years of progress will have been lost and exposure would almost certainly be inevitable. Although her career depended on this mission, Ada wasn't worrying about her options. It was her future she was worried about: more importantly, who was in it.

"Leon, can I ask you a question?"

"Shoot"

"The jet-ski key… with the little bear on it… do you still have it?"

"It's back at my apartment – you told me to hold on to it remember?"

"Yeah, when all this blows over, I want you to keep it. As a reminder."

"Thanks"

"The name you gave it, why did you call it Hannah?"

Leon had no idea how she knew that, but that didn't surprise him one bit. He knew better than to ask for explanations from Ada Wong.

It's my little sister's name. She lives with my mom in Northern Ireland. I'm not allowed to see them -it's against my contract"

"Who won't let you see them?"

"I was picked up by an undercover agent for the government right after I escaped Raccoon. He held me in US custody and told me I had to make a decision. I gave them custody of her – of Sherry, the little girl Claire and I escaped with. I exchanged her for my sister and mom's safety. They told me she would come to no harm, she just knew too much, and now so do I. Hannah, she was pregnant with my nephew at the time. He's about five now. I've never seen him to this day. The president has no idea, of course, he just thinks I was picked up by a scout and recruited to the training program. If I don't help them stop Umbrella from re-forming, my family suffers and I'm locked up tight to prevent me from talking about anything that's happened in the past six years"

"Leon, I'm gonna help you get your family back, I promise. But you're no good to them unless we stop Wesker and keep you alive. I won't let anything happen to you Leon. Your family deserves to see you again."

"Thank you, Ada"

"You risked your life to save mine six years ago. I promise if I have to do the same, I'll get you home safe"

She grabbed his hand. He kept one hand on his steering wheel as he pulled up at the curb and came to a gentle stop. Ada made to ask if he was okay and noticed tears forming in his eyes.

"I need to take a rest"

Ada said nothing. He turned to face her in his seat. His brow was creased with worry and his face was lined with tension. She looked into his eyes and saw sadness and conflict in them, and Ada knew that he cared for her. Choosing between losing contact with his family or losing her would probably kill him. She squeezed his hand even tighter and raised a hand to his face. She gazed into his eyes and from the way he gazed back, he understood that she would give anything for him, and she would do exactly the same.

"I'll drive, you get some sleep. We have a long journey and it's been hours since you took a break. It's starting to get dark again anyway; I'll have to take us the rest of the way"

Without another word, they switched seats and not after too long, Leon was asleep next to her, his head resting on his hand and his elbow leaning against the frame of the door. His hair obscured most of his face and his head bobbed unsteadily with every little wobble and bump in the road. Ada had never even thought of being in this situation in her life, but as she glanced over at the sleeping man next to her, she knew she would do anything she could to keep her promise to him.

_I love you, Leon_

* * *

"Leon, wake up, we're almost there, wake up"

Leon opened his eyes and found himself back in the passenger seat of Ada's car. It was fully dark now and Leon realised he had no idea where they were. He felt dazed and disorientated from the rough sleep, in which he hadn't quite dreamt, rather imagined.

He rubbed his eyes with the heels of his palms and wiped the tiny bit of drool accumulating in the corner of his mouth. After last night's events, he didn't feel lying to Ada was particularly useful.

"I was back in Raccoon again"

Ada said nothing, merely staring straight ahead with a stern look on her normally soft features.

"Ada…Everything okay?"

"Sure handsome, why wouldn't it be?"

Something was bothering her. He had no idea what could have happened in the last hour or so to put her in such a bad mood, but there was definably something in her voice, something in the way she just stared straight ahead that told him she was being short with him for a reason.

"Oh, nothing then"

He realised for the first time, just how dark it had suddenly gotten; in fact, he could barely see a few feet in front of his face. Blackness surrounded them, only the lights from the dashboard and the bare yellow strips of light overhead allowed them to see. Even with the full beams on, it wasn't doing much good.

"Where the hell are we?"

"Underground" was the only answer he got.

He looked over at her and thought she looked hauntingly beautiful in the dim light. The green glow that was being cast upon her face gave her fair features a somewhat melancholy expression. Her eyes flickered with anger and her face revealed the sadness that seemed to be dwelling just beneath the surface. Leon could practically see the ghosts of her past taunting her behind her beautiful Jade eyes. Eon wondered how such a beautiful person could have such a tragic past cast upon them.

Suddenly, Ada screeched to a halt and Leon was thrust violently forwards.

"Woah, where's the fire?"

"Were here. Get out"

_What the hell's up with her?_

Ada slammed her door shut and Leon had just about jumped out his side before she locked him in the car.

_Relax, she's probably just tense about the mission, just focused is all – and you should be too. Stop worrying about her and follow her before you lose sight of her_

No sooner had Leon finished that thought that every single light in the large, dank tunnel switched on, and alarms blared. He practically heard the sensors go off one by one as more and more sirens joined in the chorus of wails.

"Ada, what do we…"

He made to finish his sentence but found staring down the barrel of Ada's gun somewhat of a conversation killer.

_Come on Ada, again? What the fuck are you doing to me?!_

She said nothing as he stared at her, hatred and betrayal beaming from his eyes like red hot lasers as a group of heavily armed soldiers circled them almost immediately. Leon figured they must have been expected. One of the soldiers stuck the barrel of his gun in Leon's lower back, yet he didn't flinch, unable to take his eyes off of the beautiful woman before him.

"Ah, Mr. Kennedy, nice of you to pay us a visit"

A crisp, British accent crackled over the tannoy, and the voice of Albert Wesker echoed through the deep, dark tunnels. He felt a sharp pain in his chest and glanced down briefly, barely noticing the tranquiliser dart now buried in his left pectoral. Still, he never broke his gaze as darkness blurred the edges of his vision, and the strength started to drain from his legs.

"Welcome to my humble abode… allow us to give you the grand tour…"

Wesker's laugh bounced shrilly off of the cold concrete, as Leon's knees finally gave and he fell to the floor. His hearing and his vision began to distort as he was being dragged under by the oncoming darkness, and the last thing he saw as he was dragged away was the beautiful woman in red finally lower her weapon, and walk solemnly in the opposite direction. He watched her till the darkness swallowed her, and took him with it too.

_Ada…_


	16. Taking Over Me

"Finally the sleeping beauty awakes"

_Where am I? What happened?_

"I was wondering how long you were going to derive us of your presence, Miss Wong… always keeping me waiting"

_Wesker, he set me up, he knew what my intentions were, probably right from the start, and now he's beat me to it…_

Ada opened her eyes and saw the world distorted. She had a feeling of weightlessness as if she were floating in some sort of Ada-shaped bubble.

_Leon_

"What have you done with him?"

It was only once she spoke she realised she was not in a bubble, but some sort of glass chamber. It seemed as if it was tailor-made to fit her body, the fluid inside not exactly water but a thick fluid, dense to touch but her voice floated through it like its particles were lighter than air. She reached out and touched the thick pane of glass not half a foot in front of her, and realised just how confined she really was. The odd thing was her words weren't lost in the strange 'water' or escaping with the oxygen bubbles that popped around her. In fact, there were no oxygen bubbles in the tank at all. No air escaped from her mouth and nose, not even when she spoke. Her words seemed to echo in her head rather than escape her mouth.

"Don't fret, you will reunite with him in a matter of moments, I assure you that"

The cynicism dripped from his voice – it sounded as if it was booming in her head, and she realised that without speaking a word, she was talking to Wesker without him even being in the same room as her.

"What have you done to me?"

She merely spoke aloud in her head, yet Albert Wesker answered back just as clear as if he were stood in the weird cylindrical tank with her.

"Don't you worry my butterfly, you'll find out soon enough…"

* * *

Darkness.

It was all he could see; it as all there was to see.

He tried opening his eyes, but darkness still invaded his vision. He tried to move but found his efforts went unrewarded. It was like somebody has switched the light off inside his head and left him to power down.

"Leon"

A female voice echoed off in the distance. It almost sounded like he was underwater, the sound muffled at first, but getting clearer and clearer.

"Leon!"

He recognised the voice as his mothers. She seemed to cross with him, for what reason he didn't know. He tried to call out to her, but it felt as if his lips had been sewn shut.

Finally, his vision returned to him, and in one blurry haze, the face of his mother entered his line of sight, only she was at least twenty years younger than he had seen her last.

_Where am I?_

Leon surveyed his surroundings, only to find he was back in his old home in Manhattan.

_I'm dreaming, I must be…_

"Leon! For the last time, I said what are you doing out of bed?"

"I had a bad dream mommy"

The words spilled out of his mouth without him even opening it, he had no control over himself whatsoever. He clutched the Teddy bear in his hands even tighter to his chest.

"Come on sweetheart, let's get you back to bed… oh Leon, your too old for that now, put it back in Hannah's crib."

"But I'm scared mommy, he keeps me safe."

"He's just a teddy sweetie, besides; you're a big strong boy now, you're  _five_  years old! I thought you were too old for nightmares?"

"I was getting chased by monsters and daddy wasn't there to save me this time, daddy always saves me, why did he go away? I want daddy to come back mommy."

Tears began forming in her eyes. Leon knew from years of experience growing up that if anybody even mentioned her husband's name she started welling up. His father's disappearance was a touchy subject for her, so he learned the hard way. Leon wanted to stop himself from talking, to just give his mother a hug and say he was sorry for bringing it up again, but he wasn't in control anymore. The five-year-old still clutching his little sisters' teddy bear was.

"Why won't he come back, mommy? Where did he go that was too hard for him to come back?"

His mother bit her lip hard, scrunching her eyes as she rubbed a hand on her son's back. She was trying so hard to comfort him and be strong, but Leon could see that she was falling apart inside from facing the prospect of telling her son the truth of what really happened to this little boy's father.

"He… he had to go up to heaven sweetheart, you know that. And when you go up to heaven, you have to stay there… because even if you want to come back home… no matter how hard you, me, or anybody else wants him to, there's no way for him to come back."

"I don't get it mommy"

"Never mind honey, just go to bed. I'll keep you safe from the monsters this time, I promise. Just go to sleep and everything will be alright in the morning"

Without a word, Leon turned and marched up the stairs, leaving his mother's grief-stricken face behind him. He carried on up to the top, and even as his vision blurred and darkness crept upon him once again, his mothers repressed sobs still echoed in his head as the distance between them grew.

* * *

Ada began pounding her fists against the glass wall of the chamber but to no avail. The glass was solid, and her strength was too far depleted to carry on for much longer.

"You bastard! You're a son of a bitch, do you hear me, Albert Wesker!?"

Wesker did hear her. And it was time for him to break the silence in the room. He pushed the series of buttons that would drain the tank of its fluid and trigger the catalyst that would bring about the chain reaction in Ada's body that would undoubtedly bring him the results he sorely needed. And deserved. After all, it wasn't every day one could discover a perfect combination of viruses and infuse them into a person's bloodstream to create a perfect bio-weapon. It just so happened that Wesker was a very lucky boy. Very lucky indeed. Because in a few moments, he would never have the perfect assassin, and he wouldn't have to worry about that little problem that always came with inadequate employees.

Free will.

She felt a sudden pull come from below her and realised something was happening to the tank. No something was happening  _inside_  the tank. The water inside… it was draining. Ada expected to feel relief, expected to feel a certain apprehension about what was going to happen to her next… but all she felt was an overwhelming strength build up inside of her. It felt good. It felt  _great_.  _She_  felt great.

The last of the strange fluid in the tank drained out of the bottom, and she realised it had been inhibiting her… weakening her. Her head filled with emotions she could not suppress; rage, anger, passion, hatred, the overwhelming need to fight, to have revenge, but underneath it all she felt desire, freedom… love…for a certain person.

A gas began pouring into the chamber; Ada wanted nothing more than to see that Albert Wesker would suffer endlessly at her own hands for what he has done to her – what he may have to done Leon – and what he will do to the world if he gets chance.

As the gas flooded into her lungs, she began to choke – she felt pain in her chest, but none of it concerned her as much as the death of Albert Wesker.

_Leon, don't worry, I'll get him for both of us… then I'll come for you._

These thoughts soon faded for her consciousness, as she slowly felt something happening inside her body… and welcomed the sense of power that came with it.

* * *

Leon had been pounding his fists on what must be a solid wall of Plexiglas – the kind they made bulletproof windows out of – for at least twenty minutes. Needless to say, he was getting tired. He lowered his throbbing fists and leaned against the wall, sliding down to his knees and cradling his raw knuckles. He obviously wasn't getting anywhere, besides; if he carried on much longer his fists would turn into bloody stumps on the end of his wrists.

He rubbed his sore hands and sighed heavily into the darkness. Not a single beam of light entered the room, and since he regained consciousness (around twenty minutes ago – Leon couldn't be sure) he had been searching every nook and crevice for a way out. From what he had gathered, he was in a small concrete room about 15 feet all around. The room seemed airtight, which made Leon wonder how he was still breathing after twenty minutes if this was the case. There was no furniture in the tiny cell, no bed, no sink, not even a toilet, which gave Leon the feeling he wasn't on the long term guest list.

The images of the recent dream – or whatever it was that had happened twenty or so minutes ago – still arose fresh in his mind. It was certainly an odd thing to dream about at a time and place like this. He thought of his mother, and of the recent revelations he had deterred to Ada. Telling her of his situation reminded him of his past, how badly his relationship with his mother had turned before he left for Raccoon, and how he never got the chance to make amends before he was taken in by the government; and they inevitable used his family, who were the closest people to him, as leverage to keep him quiet and on the right side of the battle with Umbrella. Looking back, Leon wasn't even sure who was fighting for what or against whom anymore. He was tired, tired in his mind, tired in his body, tired of always being the rescuer, tired of trying to be the good guy, tired of getting nowhere fast. Tired of being betrayed, backstabbed and most of all, he was sick and tired of not being able to trust anybody.

A bright light flicked on overhead, and Leon squinted immediately. He felt like his eyes were on fire. A familiar laugh soon made him forget the pain however, as Albert Wesker's English accent boomed over the speaker in the ceiling.

"Getting comfortable yet, Mr. Kennedy?"

"Not exactly a five-star hotel, but compared to what you've probably got planned for me it's starting to get cosy."

Still squinting his eyes, he searched the room for some kind of opening, a window, a ventilation shaft…

"In that case, I shall have to give you some company to pass the time."

The lights flickered on the other side of the large Plexi-glass window and Leon felt his jaw hit the floor.

"I do hope you two enjoy your stay, I have more adequate means of accommodation, and don't worry, you will find my plans for you end here, Mr. Kennedy."

The speaker clicked off as the transmission ended, but Leon barely heard the last sentence. He was staring at a room on the other side of the glass – a large white laboratory that was dominated by a woman in red trapped inside a very large test chamber.

"Ada!"

He screamed her name and she immediately looked up. Her gaze was cold and hard as steel, he could see every detail of her in the brightly lit room, and the expression on her face told him he was not talking to Ada Wong.

With a single punch, Ada shattered the glass that separated her from the laboratory and began walking over to the large window that separated them with an evil smile on her face.

_She's coming to hurt me – that bastard has done something to her and now she wants to kill me._

"Ada, Ada hold on! It's gonna be ok, I'll save you!"

With a spinning kick, Ada crashed through the think panes of glass and landed gracefully a few feet from Leon. There was something different in the way she moved, she seemed somehow inhuman, more like an animal. She rose slowly to her full height and glared at him – that evil spiteful gaze that a hunter emits on its prey before going in for the kill. She began walking towards him with that feline prowess he used to find so attractive. He had to defend himself somehow; he had no weapon, there was nothing he could use against her (not that he was about to hurt her if he could help it) and there was nothing to use as a shield to protect himself. There was no exit, and as far as Leon could tell from the quick glance into the next room, there was no way of escape in there either.

Ada suddenly threw her wrist sharply in Leon's direction – following his gut his first reaction was to dive-roll out of the way. He narrowly missed the huge jet of fire that emitted from the palm of Ada's hand.

_How the HELL?! What the fuck has he DONE to her?!_

She scowled at him with such an inhuman growl that shivers ran up his spine and all he could do was crouch there by her left side. Ada glared at him again, showing the same red glow in her Iris that the infected Las Plagas villagers in Spain often had – and Leon knew as she raised her arm once again that he was about to die at the hands of the woman he loved.


	17. Through the Fire and Flames

She found the target even in the sudden darkness. The boss must be testing her. She could see perfectly as if she was built to live in the night. The target was scared, she could sense its fear, yet it would not run. This disappointed her, for she hoped for a challenge. But the boss wants a kill, and a kill she shall achieve.

Her senses told her what to do next without having to plan her next move. She felt as if she was being controlled by her own body, deep echoes of rebellion dragging her mind down. This did not sit well with her, yet she could not disobey. She struck with pinpoint accuracy, allowing the burning passion to fuel her power; yet the target would not give up its life so easily. It appears she would get her challenge after all.

It was strange, she had no desire to harm this target; it was no threat to her at all, yet a strong presence in her mind urged her to hunt and to destroy with no remorse.

_No, he's not your target…_

She attacked again, yet even in the confined space and in the heavy blanket of darkness the target showed no sign of surrender.

_He's NOT a target…_

A voice filled the tiny room at her slight hesitance, a voice that filled her with fury, yet a voice that held perfect control over her. She did not like this but attacked the target despite her annoyance at being used. She struck with force, the large jet of white hot flame erupting from her hand

"You must destroy your target, subject 996"

_No…I can't_

She thought she would try a more stealthy approach to take the target by surprise. She approached the target from behind with as little sound as possible. She could smell its sweat and its natural bodily scent seeping through its pores. She could practically feel its heartbeat rising with every passing second she did not strike. She reached for the target, it locked on to face her at the last second, but she held him with a firm grasp of its neck. She began to squeeze as it squirmed and shocked, breath escaping its lungs ever so slowly and painfully. She lifted it up off the ground with ease gazing into its fluttering eyes-

_-Those beautiful blazing blue eyes…_

And watched as the targets raspy voice escaped in vain attempts to reason with her.

"Ada…ah…don't…do this…AGGHH!"

_Stop it, your killing him, I can't let you do it… let go!_

Her grip relaxed as she gazed at the target with bedazzled curiosity. Perhaps she mustn't kill the target after all.

"Is there a problem subject 996? Eliminate the target or eliminate yourself"

"NO!" The target protested, and she knew she must obey the boss's order, yet she could not find a reason to disobey the target. Her fury raged within her, but it was not for the target. The boss was using her, and this displeased her more than the unsettling urge to end the target's life. "Ada… you're …stronger than this…AHHH… you're ... a good…person!"

_It's not Leon you want, leave him alone…Wesker is the one using you!_

"Subject 996 I order you to DESTROY the target, you WILL not disobey me or there will be dire consequences"

"I AM NOT YOUR SUBJECT!"

Her body took over again, this time attacking the source of the voice. A stream of fire shot from her hand and a second later, a small speaker shattered to the ground in a charred heap. She threw the target to the ground behind her; she had no need for this person and tuned her hunter instincts on a new target.

She focused her senses on the man that was her boss for 6 years, the man that ruled her very existence and made her life a misery since she could remember. All the built up emotion, the repressed anger and rage, the distilled passion and sorrow, all the repressed scars and memories that shadowed her thoughts became her every consuming prerogative. She could smell him, hear him,  _feel_  him – and she would come for him.

She knew his exact position, and with a huge burst of power blasted the opposite concrete wall with fire, twisting and gnarling the structure with the intolerable heat. She lowered her stance, and took one huge rush at the weak wall, smashing through it easily and acquiring the direction of her target.

After countless years of repression and control, she would now exact her revenge upon the man that had scarred her chances at life. As she stormed down the corridor, leaving white hot scars upon the sterile white tiles, she heard only one voice. It was her own and she embraced it fully, embarking on her own mission to end the life of Albert Wesker once and for all.

* * *

Leon was finally able to breathe steadily again after several minutes laid on the spreading warmth of the concrete floor soothing his tender throat. He felt as if his Adams Apple was stuck in his windpipe, but he had been in worse states and had bigger things to worry about. Ada had taken off down the corridor, but he did not know where she was going.

_She's going after Wesker, I know that much…_

But if he knew Wesker, he would expect her attacks and kill her before she has a chance to recover. He couldn't let that monster harm a single hair on her head, not after what he has already done to her. Leon stood up slowly, letting his vision focus properly. He stepped out of the cell through the gaping, smoldering hole and into the stainless white corridor. He soon realised it would not be too hard for him to follow her trail, as a series of charred marks on the brilliant white tiles in the shape of Ada's footsteps led him in the direction he needed to go.

_My god Ada, what has he done to you?!_

A pile of uniformed corpses lined the corridors in a clear path of destruction…somewhere still alight and the stench of fresh smoke filled the corridor and settled permanently in his nostrils. Trying not to be physically sick, Leon hurried past the charred bodies, hoping to stop Ada before she caused any more harm than necessary.

After a sharp turn left and a long corridor to the north, he came to a T-section. Ada's footprints turned right, but to the left was a room marked 'Storage & Confiscation' seemed to appeal to him – after all, he spent a lot of time picking out his arsenal of kick-ass weaponry, and if he was going up against Wesker and Ada he would need as much 'help' as he could get. Unfortunately, the door was locked, but Leon didn't have time to look for the card key that matched the reader to the left of the sturdy looking door. Instead, he spotted a vent cover that tore quite easily from the ceiling. Leon was never much of a heavyweight, but he thought 70.2 kg out to be enough weight to bring those tiny little screws out from their homes. He dropped down into the large room silently and picked up his inventory from a box close to the door. The 'storage room' was mainly stacked with confiscated weapons and key cards, as well as several strange gadgets ranging from minuscule trackers to C4 and what looked like that huge gun that shoots electricity at robots in The Matrix.

_Looks like a sci-fi nerds paradise in here!_

A large exit button released the lock on the door from the inside and Leon picked up the trail with speed. He knew he didn't have time to dawdle, Ada could be in trouble right now, and Wesker was not one to wait for the cavalry to arrive. After a few short twists and turns, Leon felt the air in the corridor get considerable warmer, and the tiny orange glow still rested in the soles of the fresh footprints.

_She must be close… just hold on Ada, I'm coming for you..._

"Leon"

A gruff male voice barked his name from somewhere to his left, and when he saw a figure standing next to the glass window in one of the larger cells marked 'level 5 security', he had to look twice to make sure he wasn't even more badly hurt in the fight than he'd realised.

"Krauser?!"

"Leon, you're lookin' for Ada, right? She went that way, something crazy in the water 'round here though, they have a habit of turning ya into some scary shit when you're back is turned. I'd watch yourself, buddy."

He sounded weary and tired; his voice was normally strong and confident, full of volume even when he was being 'quiet'. Now though, he sounded almost strained to talk. He looked exactly the way he did in Spain, only without the huge accessory of his right arm. It was still there, just covered in a horrible red scar that permeated his fingertips and followed through to his shoulder.

"I heard you were still alive but… what are you doing in here? I thought you were on Wesker's side?"

"Not voluntarily, you see, Wesker is a very persuasive man. He has ways of making your life misery 'til he gets what he wants. I'm just sorry I had to betray you like that Leon, but you have to understand I wasn't myself back then"

"I hear ya, buddy, I should have known something was up when they couldn't find your body in that so-called 'accident'. Listen, this may be asking a lot, but… that's Ada in there…"

"Just get me out of here bud - leave Wesker to me."

Krauser uttered these words with a growl, his face twisted into a snarl, and for all the suffering and pain he seemed to have put his old partner through these last two years, he had no reason to doubt him. And let's face it, there were three people against one, at least that way he could focus on Ada while Krauser kept our superhuman friend busy.

"Okay, how do I open the lock?"

"It's electronic, there's a security office just down the hall, you need a valid ID badge to get in, and then a security card to gain access to the cell controls."

"How do you know all this?"

"I know I don't look it, but I'm not exactly a jarhead on steroids. After all, that's why they put me and you together isn't it Einstein?"

Leon barked a quick laugh at his old friend's sarcastic ways. He hadn't changed a bit. It had disturbed him greatly to see a once tough yet clean military man on the wrong side of the fence. Skills like that should be used for peace and justice, not as a vessel for bioterrorism. It was good to see him back the way he was anyhow; it was true Krauser had never really had his wits about him, but he knew how to use his brain to get him out of danger when he was backed into a corner. Something Leon had always admired about old Jacky boy.

"I'll be right back, I know where I can find those key cards okay? Here…"

Leon unhooked the spare radio headset he had stuck to his belt. He wired himself up and gave Ada's set to Krauser.

"Keep in touch if anything happens"

"Leave it to me Leon"

With that, Leon set off back the way he came, and Krauser had no choice but to leave his freedom in the hands of his former comrade.

* * *

A few minutes later, and Leon's blonde head appeared in the bars of the cell's window. He looked excited and, well, extremely nervous to be releasing one of his new found enemies that had been brought back from the dead for the third time in two years.

_I would be too_

"I've got em…. What do I do once I'm in there?"

_Leon, you never lost your faith in people after all_

"Put the card in, then log into the database and use the password 'Tricell' to gain access to the cells. Mine is cell 5"

"Tricell?"

"No idea, I think its some kinda medical company according to the guards here, I've never heard of it before"

"Right.."

A few moments later, the heavy cell door slid back into the wall and Krauser rushed out to greet his old partner.

"Here, take this, I figured you would need a little something to get you started"

Leon handed over a TMP machine pistol, not unlike the one he attacked the very same man in Spain what seemed like an eternity ago. The truth is with all the trials and tests he'd been put through he couldn't even figure out how long ago that really was.

"Thanks…okay Wesker is just through here"

He led Leon through the next room and prepared to burst open the sturdy looking door. The sound of fire roaring could be heard through the cracks, and the smell of smoke stung his nose. He turned to see if Leon had noticed these telling signs, but all he saw in his friend's face was sheer determination and unwavering focus.

_Atta' boy Leon, it's all about her now, isn't it? Just don't do anything stupid, I've seen what happens to people who confront Wesker_ …

Leon took point, something Krauser was accustomed to on their team missions. He wondered if Leon had adapted to solo missions better than he had anticipated. With one swift kick, Leon booted the door off of its already battered hinges and entered the room, Krauser not too far behind. What they saw in front of them was pure carnage.

Dead bodies littered the room, scorch marks and smoke decorated the walls and ceiling. Ada stood in front of a sheet of plexiglass, presumably bulletproof, as she was having trouble breaking through to get to the person standing on the other side, working furiously at the controls.

"WESKER!"

Krauser could not help himself; he splattered the glass wall with bullets, emptying out the entire clip, hoping it would help Ada burn her way through the impossibly thick shielded glass separator. However, she still struggled to penetrate the glass. She needed more time…

"Glad you got that out of your system Mr. Krauser, perhaps now you will let me properly welcome our new guests?"

Wesker slammed a black-gloved hand down on a big red button, sounding an alarm and sending the room into total lockdown. There was not a single door or window that was not covered with a huge metal shutter and locked down tight.

"Well, now that we're all comfortable, let's get this party started with a few guests…"

All three of them stood still as a very familiar sound filled the air. The hiss of creatures Ada and Leon recognized immediately as ones that filled their waking thoughts and nightmares for 6 years running. They knew by the arrogant victory in Wesker's laugh that they could do nothing but wait as the hoard of lickers made their way toward them to seal their fate once and for all…


	18. When the Levee Breaks

The shutters came crashing down with an almighty metallic clang, sending a Mexican wave of sounds that felt like machine gun fire parading through Leon's body. The steady click, click, click, of the licker's claws against ceramic tile counted down the seconds they had left until their arrival. It felt like an internal clock was counting down his last few seconds of hope in slow motion, diminishing with the added sucking sound of flesh sticking to a ceiling. They were well and truly trapped, and they had no way out.

"Leon, what do we do?"

It was Krauser's steady but alarmed command that snapped him out of his waking nightmare.

"I dunno… isn't there some way to override the shutters? Short circuit them somehow?"

"I don't think so, well, there's a sensor in the room that you could destroy, but I have no idea where it is or how tough it is…"

"And we certainly don't have time to look for it..."

A sudden screech and a whoosh of pale red flesh stopped his train of thought mid-flow. With sluggish reactions, Leon spun to target the crouched licker that had just almost slashed his throat with one gigantic claw, and fired several burst rounds into its head, sending blood and pinky flesh flying toward him and Krauser.

"Change of plan! Just shoot the shit out of 'em!"

Completely forgetting that Krauser had wasted all of his ammunition trying to shoot his way through the bulletproof glass; Leon turned his back to cover his former comrade - unknowingly leaving Krauser open to attack from the second licker entering through a ventilation shaft in the ceiling.

With a large jump, the clawed beast lunged at the muscular man's jugular. Thinking sharply, Krauser reached for the sheath on his blonde associate's ammunition belt, ducking and slashing upwardly towards the exposed underbelly of the creature. It missed its target, but Krauser had hit the beast in the chest, landing on its back with a large painful scream and flailing clawed limbs. The knife, still stuck in the monster's chest cavity, coated in a deep crimson liquid that indicated he had struck a vital organ.

"Leon! the heart! It's exposed on their chest, stab it in the heart!"

These lickers must have been modified prototypes because six years ago it was the brain that was the exposed organ.

_Clever, how they made it harder to figure out, and even harder to target…_

Lacking his combat knife, Leon switched to his H&K MP5, targeting the creature's underbelly with his laser sight as soon as it raised its ugly head. With a success of shots, the creature howled in pain and ceased to move.

"Incoming!"

Leon spun to face his struggling companion, only to find a large hoard of the creatures dropping to the ground in front of them. However, Leon had an idea…

"FIRE IN THE HOLE!"

Leon pulled the pin on the grenade, taking several large running steps backward, Krauser following his lead. He threw low and soft, hitting the spot where most of the lickers were now landing with heavy thuds. The 1.5 seconds that followed seemed to count down in slow motion, as three of the hoard were pounced and ready to strike, hunched with one claw in the air. Leon and Krauser braced themselves up against the far wall, ready for the imminent explosion; they hoped it would hit the lickers before they hit them. Leon looked up, only to find two of the three sailing towards them, claws sharp and deadly accurate, and mere feet away...

Then, finally…

BOOM!

There was a loud bang, then an uproar of hissing and screeching from the middle of the room. Leon felt the force of the explosion pushing him against the back wall, almost forcing him through it. A large weight dropped on top of them as it slid down the wall, it felt like a dead body, but Leon knew it was the lickers failed attempts at reaching them before the grenade went off. The two of them stood up immediately, squirming at the sticky creature that landed firmly on their laps. There was a ringing in his ears as he turned to see if Krauser was okay - he seemed disgusted but fine. After a few seconds delay, the sprinkler system turned on and sprayed the small area of burning debris and sparking wirework hanging from the ceiling. He noticed the black marks on the ceiling and found himself lucky he wasn't in the same shape.

_-Ada…_

He spun to face the glass wall behind them where she had been forcing her way through, but no trace of her was found other than the charred circle of glass.

"Krauser, where did Ada go?"

"WHAT?"

"ADA – WHERE IS SHE?"

The former agent searched the room but found the same result as Leon. He simply shrugged his shoulders, rubbing his ears to try to get them to pop and allow his hearing to return at least some of the way. Leon searched the room more closely, looking for any sign of a way out.

_If Ada can get out there must be a way for us too…I hope…_

"LEON"

He turned toward the muffled sound of the blonde man's voice and hope sparked at the cover of a ceiling vent swinging from its twisted hinges. Leon had no idea whether it was the explosion or Ada's new… talent… that caused it but he knew she couldn't have gone far in the time-space either way.

"Come on, we gotta follow her!"

"WE GOTTA WHAT?"

"GET IN THE VENT!"

Using a desk as a boost, he kicked off the surface of the sturdy metal frame and caught the lip of the wide shaft, hauling himself in messily. His flailing limbs kicked the grating still hanging loosely from the ceiling, causing it to drop not too far from Krauser's sore head.

"HEY WATCH IT"

However, Leon had no time for apologies, as he scrambled into the vent, crawling on his hands and knees in the only direction it would allow. He heard the groans and creaks of Krauser climbing in after him, Leon's combat knife held dangerously in his mouth. His hearing was finally returning, as the low humming noise had dimmed and he could hear his former comrade's grunts as his head scrapped along the top of the vent; his large frame slowing him down as he squeezed into the compact space.

"Whatever you do, don't bump your head, or you'll end up with a smile like the Joker's!"

"vrryy fmmyy Leommmnn!"

_Well, at least I don't have to shout any more to be heard…_

A few minutes later they dropped down into what looked like a long tanning booth. Bright blue lights lined the walls and floor in tubes under glass paneling. Leon looked alarmed at the choice of lighting in the corridor for some reason.

"What's the matter, you forgot your sunblock?"

"I wish it were that simple buddy, this corridor is guarded by laser beams"

"How do you know?"

"I had an encounter with a similar trap in Spain, an all too close one if you ask me."

"Oh great, so how do we get out without looking like Swiss cheese?"

"Just stay here, ill find a way to let you through when I reach the end"

Krauser seemed taken aback by Leon's bravery, but where would courage get him if he made a wrong move?

"Just be careful okay? I'm right behind ya"

"Got it"

He watched on with wonder as Leon skilfully avoided the laser traps, handling them with flips, handsprings and skillful dodges. Even he had no idea how he would've gotten through if Leon hadn't been here.

_I don't remember him being so flexible when he was my partner… boy's got skills_

He reached the end with time to spare; his hand hovered over the reset button next to the door's control.

"What now?"

"When I pushed this last time, there was another moving trap that covered the whole corridor, the only way I got past was to do a huge jump off of the wall and go over the top. I want you to stay alert if anything happens when I push this button okay?"

The blonde soldier nodded his acceptance, opening his senses to danger as Leon hastily pushed the button. Nothing happened.

"Guess we're good to go" Leon shrugged.

"Wait, Leon, do you smell something?"

"Actually, yeah", he retorted, sniffing the air like a dog catching a scent. "What is that… burning rubber?"

Krauser, eyes widening in realisation, knew where the smell was coming from as he hopped around at the heat beneath his feet. His boots were melting.

"It's the floor, it's booby-trapped!"

Acting immediately, both men performed a split jump, slightly sticky booted feet resting on the brightly lit glass walls. Luckily, the corridor was wide enough to reach if they stretched.

_Well, I didn't foresee doing the splits today, or I would have worn better pants…_

After 10 seconds, or what seemed like 10 minutes to Krauser, the doors finally opened with a light swoosh. Both men dropped down heavily, stepping past the sticky black marks their footwear had made on the now cooling floor. They hurried through the doorway, Krauser now appreciative of Leon's finely tuned intuition.

They stepped into a large circular room, extremely tall, solid concrete walls surrounded them with no other visible exit. The electronic door automatically closed behind them, and they realised they were trapped yet again.

"Krauser, you okay? " Leon questioned, noticing his partners uneasy appearance.

"Yeah, just got a mean headache all of a sudden"

Actually, it was worse than that, it was like someone had buried an axe into his skull… like just being in this room was so painful it made him physically hurt. He dropped to his knees, scrunching his eyes with pain and groaned at the horrible sadness and anger that rose within him suddenly.

"What is it, is Wesker doing this to you?"

Leon had dropped his gun to his side and was now crouching before him, a look of worry and panic on his face, but also one of cautious distance. He knew what was happening to him because it was the same thing that had happened to Ada only minutes ago.

"This… this place…"

The violence and horrific images that were soaked into the walls began to impugn upon his memory. Something terrible had happened here….

_No, not terrible, something wonderful; this is the place I was born again. Set free._

"This place… I remember"

"Krauser? What the hell is going on?"

He did not answer, instead, he lunged at his blonde-haired nemesis, raising Leon's knife above his head and thrusting it down upon his victim. The force of the attack knocked both men to the floor, Krauser pushing the knife ever closer to Leon's soft flesh. A hot throbbing in his left arm ushered its way to the back of his mind, the familiar rush of adrenaline and power rising to the surface yet again. Leon would finally suffer at his hands, the inferior 'human' strength conquered by his superior power.

Leon fought as hard as he could, but as he looked into those familiar red eyes, he knew his diminishing strength would not compare to Krausers Plagas enhanced muscle. He closed his eyes and waited for the sharp blow that would mean his end...


	19. When Heavens Divide

"NOOO!"

Huge blasts of fire forced Krauser to growl and release his grip, falling to the side of him. His skin was charred, but this did not deter his from getting to his feet as if he had merely lost his balance.

Leon rubbed his sore throat and noticed a few specks of blood came away with his hand.

_Talk about a close shave…_

"Well if it isn't the bitch in the red dress"

Leon scrambled to his feet and gasped at the sight of Ada, her hands alight with balls of raw flame, staring intently at Krauser. He immediately unleashed the sharp Plagas blade from his left arm, pointing it in Leon's direction.

"Leave him out of this"

She did not look at Leon, nor did she move from the spot she was standing in front of him. Her eyes reflected the flames that danced across her face, their orange flicker the only movement as her beautiful eyes bore into Krausers with passionate rage.

"You know, I never did trust you, guess I was right to tell Wesker about your little soft spot for the boy scout over here"

"Leave him OUT OF THIS!" she roared, as she shot flames at Leon's mutated ex-partner.

Krauser raised his arm and it formed a wing-shaped shield over his torso. His clothes singed and flickered with small leftover flames.

"Please, not that old trick"

"Ada, stop this, it isn't you!"

Again, she ignored Leon completely, content only with the visible fury that spread across Krauser's face. Leon drew his gun and pointed it at Krauser, cocking it. If his old comrade decided to make a move, Leon would be the first to strike.

_Should have known better than to trust him, after all, Jack was the one who wanted this power. Why should I stand in his way of the Plagas?_

Jack was clearly a lost cause; his only priority was to save Ada, before whatever the hell had gotten into her, decided to become permanent.

Jack was the one to move first, he sped towards Ada, arm in prime striking position above his head. He leaped into the air before Leon could get a shot off, but Ada expertly rolled out of the way, crouching on one knee and blasting him with flames. Krauser landed in a crouch position also, and as he stood, Leon popped off a few shots; he managed to hit his calves, making him stumble forward. Ada then charged him, knocking him into the concrete wall some 20 feet away.

_Jesus! I'm gonna have to be delicate about this then…_

However, Ada did not stop there. She charged her fires again, her palms ablaze with white-hot flames, and finished off what was left of Jack Krauser for good with a loud primal scream.

"Ada, stop! It's ok, he's finished for good this time"

"You don't understand, Wesker will bring him back, he's done it before and there's nothing to stop him doing it again…"

Still, he found she would not acknowledge him, she seemed incapable of even saying his name…

"I have to stop him; I can feel him trying to control me"

"You don't have to worry Ada, if it's the last thing I ever do I will personally but a bullet in Albert Weskers sick, twisted head"

"I highly doubt that Mr. Kennedy"

Leon spun and aimed at the source of the voice he had come to loathe. The man himself was standing in the middle of the arena, dressed in black attire from head to toe, including a pair of darkly tinted sunglasses.

Ada charged her flame immediately, her arm winding back as if she were pitching a baseball. No sooner than she had done this, Wesker withdrew a small remote control; it looked like a small Dictaphone, and Ada dropped to her knees with a yelp of pain.

The fire was extinguished from her hands, as she now held them tightly over her temples, her fingers buried deep in her raven black hair. Leon fired – and his jaw dropped as he dodged it with lightning fast speed.

_What the hell is with everyone? I feel like I'm in the middle of some sort of freak show!_

He fired again, three times in quick succession, and again found that Wesker didn't so much move, as he teleported out of the way. He was literally a blur!

_How the…?_

In the time it took Leon to realise what had just happened, Wesker charged at him, throwing him to the ground. Leon attempted to counterattack but found Wesker's knee to be resting heavily on his chest, and his right arm being pulled from its socket. Leon cried out in pain and dropped the weapon from his hand involuntarily.

"Nice try,  _Leon_ , but you will need more than that pea-shooter to defeat me"

"What have you done to Ada"

"Come on Kennedy, you've seen enough to know what this is, why don't you take a guess?"

"Grr... You combined two viruses together didn't you…"

"Keep going"

"Ah, from what Chris told me … I'd say you found a way to mutate the Veronica virus with a Plagas"

"Well done boy, Ada was right, you have gotten smarter"

"Why did you do this to her… I thought she was on your side!"

The weight on his chest was increasing with each gasping breath he took, and he could feel his senses becoming fuzzy. Ada was still writing on the ground a few feet away from them, and Krauser was still cooling of half buried in the wall opposite. He was going to have to find a way out of this himself.

"Stop struggling Mr. Kennedy, or I will be forced to inflict more pain on you than you can possibly bear. Do you know what this place is?"

"Why should I care? It's probably a place for you to infect more innocent people"

"Not quite, it's a training ground, a gladiator arena if you will. I call it the Coliseum. I use the most successful test subjects and pit them against each other – whoever survives the battle gets to proceed to the live field testing. That used to mean Racoon city, but thanks to you and your bleeding heart comrades, I had to find a new focus for my live data feed. That's when I deployed Ada, at the time she was my best agent, to Spain and retrieve a sample of the Plagas. However, I was extremely disappointed in the results"

"Why, she gave you what you wanted "

"Hmm; not so bright after all Kennedy. Ada, of course, completed her mission in that she stole the sample from you and returned it to me. However, there was one mission objective she did not go through with, something that disappointed me to no end"

Leon remained silent, loathing the fact that he was mindlessly spilling him all this information when Ada was in pain. As if he read his thoughts, Wesker turned to stare at Ada, still crouched on the floor, her tactical gear covered in dirt from the filthy, bloodstained floor.

"She failed to kill you."

"She…she what?"

"I ordered her to assassinate you at the first chance she got, Mr. Kennedy. But she failed. Furthermore, when I issued the same command to Krauser, she intercepted. From the day I learned of your presence in Raccoon City 6 years ago, I have sensed a change in Ada. She used to be so ruthless, so efficient and effective. Not once did she ever hesitate, not once did she conceal anything from me. Maybe it was because of the trauma she endured on that night in Birkin's laboratory. However it still to this day puzzles me as to how you managed to escape not only the facility in Raccoon but the Island in Spain. Am I right in suspecting she had a part to play in that?"

"No… I knew Ada was a spy, and she betrayed me, I escaped on my own after I saw her die in front of my own eyes!"

"I doubt that very much, Mr. Kennedy. And I thought you had more sense than that, can you not see that Ada is very much alive right here in front of you?"

He could hear the frustration in his voice rising now, he twisted his arm a little more out of its socket. Leon howled in pain, gritting his teeth so as not to give him the satisfaction of hearing how much pain he was truly in. However, Leon wanted his answers and did not retaliate – helpless as he was.

"I would have thought you had a role in that somehow"

"Well, I cannot perform miracles, Mr. Kennedy, not to the extent of bringing a person back to life with no repercussions. I did, however, manage to heal her significant wounds. Whether she could fulfill her mission in a limited time was another question, and she did not let me down. She provided me with a tissue sample of the G Virus, as she did with every virus she has encountered until Spain. She returned a fake sample of the Plagas. This is when I knew you had more of an effect on her than I had anticipated. I was forced to send a special agent to the Islands remains and bring Krauser's body back in order to revive him and collect a tissue sample for myself."

"Why are you telling me all of this?"

"Because,  _Leon_ , I want answers from you. You have already confirmed some of my suspicions by voluntarily collaborating with the lovely Miss Wong. It may surprise you to know that I subjected her to the virus upon her return from Spain a few weeks ago, and since then I have been using her to involuntarily monitor you. However, I suppose she has been doing her own research, considering her unfathomable fascination with you."

"YOU BASTARD!"

Wesker chuckled heartily at his outburst of anger.

"Well, I can see you know nothing of much use. Disappointing. I shall have to ask her myself what happened, that's is if she comes back alive"

"Alive? What are you going to do?"

Wesker raised his foot slightly and let go of his arm in order to let him up, his right hand quickly drawing a pistol from his coat pocket, keeping Leon in check. With his left hand, he pulled the device from his pocket which he used on Ada. He pointed the device at her once again.

Leon watched helplessly as she rose to her feet, a cold expression set on her face. She seemed empty, almost robotic.

"No! Ada doesn't listen to him!"

He had to get a hold of that device, it was the only way to help Ada and stand a chance at defeating Wesker.

"Subject #996 you are ordered to terminate target 63-K, understood?"

"Confirmed"

It wasn't her voice – that wasn't the Ada he knew, but she was still in there somewhere and he had to save her, no matter what it took.

"Enjoy this moment Mr. Kennedy, it could well be your last"

Leon summoned up all his strength. He had to do something now, it was his only chance.

"Oh, and for what it's worth, I hope you destroy each other – at least then you can finally be together"

He holstered his gun, laughing sadistically, and prepared to dash for a dark opening somewhere on the far circular wall, when Leon made a grab for him. Diving on top of him as hard as he could, his arms made a wild snatch at his long trailing overcoat… and managed to drag him to the floor, pulling his coat off of him and knocking him off balance. However, Weskers lightening quick speed meant this had not hindered him, and instead he drew his weapon and fired; three successive shots in his direction. Leon managed to dive roll to the left, but only just – one of the bullets nicked his upper-right arm. Leon simply ignored the shooting pain, his breathlessness and his exhaustion in a final bid to catch Wesker off guard. He recovered from the roll, brought back his fist with a sum of his remaining strength, and let out a wail of anger as he threw his fist at him as hard as he could.

To his surprise, Wesker had dodged it as he had feared, yet he had somehow managed to knock off his sunglasses. A splintered piece of plastic frame dangled limply from its lens as Wesker suddenly threw his hands to his face, growling in condescension. He quickly discarded his broken glasses, tossing them at Leon with disgust, and dashed into the dark alcove in the split second it had taken him to react.

He started after him, wanting to finish the fight once and for all, but remembered Ada only needed the command from Wesker and he would be dead in an instant…

He knew he had mere seconds to react; he knew the device controlled the virus implanted in Ada somehow – perhaps the same way Saddler had controlled him and Ashley in Spain? Leon had felt the pain that came with a simple wave from Saddler's hand. It was excruciating, and he was completely disabled, no matter how hard he fought against it…

_His coat…the device was in his coat pocket…_

He shot a quick glance at Ada and saw that she was already watching him with a hungry stare in her eyes – almost soulless as she charged her flames once more. Leon sprinted for the torn coat that lay on the ground some feet away, and hoped he would reach it in time…

He made a diving roll for it, scrambling to the floor as a jet of fire streamed above him, missing his head by inches. With no time to lose, Leon searched the garment for the small device – and found it in an inside pocket. He just had time to roll out of the way of another attack, Ada visibly struggling to regain control of her actions.

_There's only one button, oh God I don't want to hurt her, but if I don't push this button I'm toast! I have to do something to stop her while I find something to cure her…_

He pushed the large grey button, and sure enough, Ada dropped to the ground with a cry of agony. He rushed to her side, gripping her hand as she squirmed and writhed in the bloodstained dirt.

"I'm sorry Ada, I'm so sorry, I had to!"

"It's okay…" she panted her words in bursts of visible effort "… just… get out of here…please!"

_Even after all these years, she's willing to sacrifice herself for me, just like she did 6 years ago…_

"No, I'm coming back; I just need to find a way to get this thing outta you okay? Just hold on for me"

Leon was surprised at the emotion that had crept into his voice. He hated seeing her like this, but there was no kinder alternative. He had to be quick; who knows how much longer she will last under the intense pain she was suffering? He just needed one of those machines he and Ashley found back in Spain – Wesker had to have one built somewhere around here?

Suddenly, it hit him. He had been to a debriefing in Spain after his mission ended. He knew what he had to do… the only question was could he find it here, and would it work? He had no other choice… he crossed his fingers, and ran for the Armoury…

* * *

It was unbearable. It felt like something was trying to rip her apart from the inside out, like the chest-bursting scene from Alien or something. She could not describe the pain she felt as the virus spread through her body. Leon had been gone a long time, an eternity it seemed as she lay squirming in the filth of the arena. Suddenly, a low rumble shook the ground and a siren blared overhead…

"Self destruct initiated, 10 minutes to detonation"

_Jesus that man loves to blow shit up! Can he not exit a building without triggering one of those things!_

She decided to stay positive and hope that whatever Leon was doing, he would do it fast and get the hell out of here.

_Please, just let him be safe, I'm already damned as it is. Don't let him die in a godforsaken place like this, not over me._

"Ada!" Leon's heavy footsteps hurried over to her, a wide-eyed look of panic spread over his face.

"Leon, thank god… I thought you…"

"It's ok, I'm gonna get you out of here, I promise. We're a team remember?"

_Even after everything, I put him through; he's still playing the hero. Like I deserve his protection… I can't even fathom why he does this time after time when I stab him in the back almost immediately after._

But she knew the answer to that question, she knew quite well.

"I have to do something, something that will hurt me more for having to do it, but I promise it will be over soon"

It was then Ada noticed he was carrying a large gun, a gun that looked very much like a laser cannon, which he was charging – and pointing straight at her.

_Oh god, what is he doing? What the hell is this?_

He then pointed the barrel straight at her abdomen. The machine beeped, a signal it was ready to be fired, and Leon took one last mournful look into her eyes before firing.

"I'm sorry for this, I'm so sorry…"

Ada closed her eyes, and waited for the bow that would ultimately decide her fate…


	20. Bad Blood

She forced her eyes shut upon the white glow of the strange weapon. A warm yet sharp sensation filled her abdomen like someone was stabbing her with a hot knife. The image of the stream of light was burned on the inside of her eyelids; a greenish blob shrinking in size and fading in color along with the painful sensitivity. After merely a second or two, the pain stopped. She could not open her eyes. She heard no sound, saw nothing but darkness. It was as if something was wrapped around her throat, stopping her from drawing breath. She feared the darkness as it began to pull her into an alternate world; a place where she could not see, think, hear or speak, let alone feel. She felt suspended, as if floating in a pool of murky blackness, drowning slowly yet painfully aware. She had felt this horrible state of conscious before… that night in Raccoon. The night she died.

She struggled to find that hand in the darkness that was sure to come – had come towards her that very night and pulled her from her state of drowning. She waited, but no-one came. There would be no miracle cure, no virus to revitalise her damaged cells, no medical remedy for her failing organs or fleeting strength. This time she was dying for real…

* * *

Her heartbeat had slowed to a crawl. Her pulse was so weak he could barely feel its thready fluctuation against his fingers. Her chest had no rise and fall and no sweet, warm breath escaped her slightly parted lips. With every passing second his fear of what was fast becoming truth became apparent to him, but he didn't dare admit it. Wouldn't allow himself to think it. The spark in his brain had perished before it even registered as a thought in his mind.

_Come on Ada… please…_

He began CPR for the third time. He repeated the process with dying hope, tears forming in the glands of his eyes, clouding his vision as his lips touched hers for the final time. A quick press against the jugular indicated no change.

_Please, don't leave me like this Ada… not here, not now. For god's sake's just breathe!_

He began the cycle for the fourth time. Tears now following down his cheeks, falling freely from his face as he furiously worked to bring her back from the brink.

_Probably just lost a lot of blood, the same thing happened with Alexia, T-virus re-animates dead cells, rapid cell production through meiosis…she should come back from this! Why isn't this working!_

He slowly stopped, unable to accept the fact that the once amazingly skilled, flawless and beautiful woman that thrilled him with her very presence was laid in front of him, void of life.

_This is it; you've taken her life through your own reckless thinking. You should have just escaped – maybe found a doctor that could help her. Take her to the hospital or something. She could have made it. You killed the woman you love most in the world through stupidity and impulse._

"I'm so sorry"

He sobbed into her dirt-stained, lightly singed clothes. Salty tears made tracks in the dirt smeared across his face, running down to his lips and leaving a bitter taste. He must once again say goodbye to the woman he loved…

* * *

She could feel it. The virus. The parasite was gone, it was no longer controlling her. But the virus. It was in her blood, was still lying dormant in her body. Yet even as darkness swirled around her, and invisible hands pulled her further down, drowning, she could feel it fighting. Something stirred within her. She felt strong again – empowered by its unnatural forces. It was like electricity was flowing through her veins, surging through her body from the deepest depths of her mind to the very tips of her fingers. She inhaled a short breath of clean, cool air; the lack of oxygen burning her lungs as she coughed and spluttered, battling against the excess carbon monoxide built up inside of them. Finally, she could breathe normally, and she opened her eyes as the world returned to her in colour.

"Ada!"

Her throat was too sore to reply just yet, and her lungs still burned from the lack of oxygen. She thought she should catch her breath and allow her senses to return to her. Most of her surroundings were still hazy and she felt extremely dizzy.

"I'm so glad you're alive!" Leon exclaimed with a slight crack in his throat. His eyes were red and tear tracks were clearly trailed down his cheeks amongst the dirt and grit from the arena. He embraced her firmly as she still fought for breath. Once she gathered her mind a little more, she remembered who Leon was and why he was acting so hysterical. She drew her arms up and softly embraced him also.

"I thought I was gonna have to say goodbye for the second time in six years" He gave a large sniff and an awkward laugh. "At least there's no self destruct this time!"

They held each other softly for a few minutes in awkward silence, yet for Ada, it felt like the better part of a lifetime. The old cliché says that when you experience a near-death situation, your life flashes before your eyes. To Ada, it felt like her life was waiting there for her when she opened her eyes. She saw everything she wished her life could have been in that moment with him. A trusting partner who would give anything for her. Who she would buy a house with and settle down and eventually have children with. Someone she could rely on to take care of her when she needed taking care of. To challenge her every day in ways she'd never imagined. To make her happy just by thinking of him. Someone who would keep her warm on cold nights, cook breakfast in bed on Sunday mornings, who she could grow old with, without any thought of Umbrella, Wesker, biological viruses or the hellish nightmare that was Raccoon city.

_It's not that simple though… yes, he has saved your life on several occasions, and yes, it is obvious that he cares profusely for you, but you can't just drop everything to be a soccer mom with a mortgage. You're a spy, a lying, murdering, stealing agent of biological warfare. And let's not forget what could happen to not only Leon but those he cares about if you double-crossed Wesker._

"What happened to Wesker?"

"He escaped, down that way" He pointed to the dark alcove in the back of the arena. "I'm guessing he's locked us in I don't understand though, you lost a lot of blood. The Veronica virus did the same thing to Consuela, and she..."

"I don't know the details myself, but I know that feeling - like thousands of tiny men are marching their way through your veins. That feeling of power, of indestructibility"

"The virus?"

Ada nodded. It had saved her life, yet she still felt horrified to realise she was potentially no better off than the poor souls of Raccoon. She had seen first hand what the virus did to those people, and even worse things were done to Wesker's sick little experiments. It made her sick to her stomach – so much so she felt like vomiting, but she held it back and shook the thought from her mind. She had to be strong for both of them now if they had any hope of getting out of there alive.

"We should get out of here handsome, if he's still here he could be sending something nasty our way any moment"

He nodded, stood and offered her his hand. She ignored it and stood carefully. She still didn't feel like her old self, but she could stand up on her own at least. She didn't want him to treat her like some kind of delicate flower.

They jogged over to the darkened alcove, only to find a large metal gate in their way.

"What about the way we came in?"

"No good, the door locked behind us – I think you would need a lever or switch to open it maybe"

"There's got to be a way to open it, let's take a look"

They jogged to the other side of the room, where a large metallic door blocked their exit. It looked like it belonged to a bank's money vault rather than an experimental facility. There was a panel inset into the center of the door, with some sort of lens running horizontally.

_Wesker must have had something on him to open the door, a code or a key card perhaps?_

Leon was already ahead of her train of thought; he ran to the center of the arena to where the blonde man had left his long black coat. He searched the belongings and came up with a master key card; exclaiming while rushing over to show it to her. He touched the card's barcode to the lens, and it bleeped its approval, followed by a loud thud from the doors internal workings.

"I don't understand it though, why would he leave in such a hurry, without even trying to retrieve his belonging? I mean, he has superhuman strength and agility – he could have easily taken me. He must have known we could use this to get out of here?"

"His eyes, handsome. You broke his sunglasses."

She glanced at his puzzled reaction as they made their way back through the now deactivated laser guarded corridor. Leon used the card at the other end too.

"His eyes are photosensitive, it's a side effect of the virus he injects himself with. He needs it to stay alive and keep his powers, but it had an adverse reaction with his skin and eyes. He can't stay in the light too long or his skin starts to burn and he loses his sight. That why he always wears dark glasses and clothing."

"I see… so when I knocked off his glasses he began to go blind?"

"Sort of, it's not as quick as that but it sure does hurt him like a son of a bitch"

They quickly made their way through the complex, the master keycard making quick work of the journey. Ada began mapping out in her head how they would escape; they had the route all covered, all they had to do was find her car in the underground parking entrance, hotwire the car, quick weapons check, find somewhere to ditch the vehicle and change clothes, then make their escape to the nearest safe house. She mentally checked the list of events off as she played out the scenario and contemplated any backup plans. When concerning one's self with Albert Wesker, one must consider all contingencies, and render all expectations obsolete.

_The man has a way of catching you off guard…_

"I take it we're going for the car first?"

"You got it handsome"

"Contingency plan?"

"We take the service elevator to the top floor and find a ventilation shaft that leads to the surface. There has to be one, it's how they get fresh air regulated through the complex so far underground."

In time, it turned out the contingency plan was never needed. The whole escape went as smoothly as a hot knife through butter. They hopped into her car and sped off toward the world above; Leon loading weapons and checking ammunition as Ada navigated the dark tunnels that led to the surface. However what awaited them when they reached the surface astonished her on every level.

Nothing…

The streets where completely empty: Not a single person or vehicle in sight. No creatures or monsters to be found, no ravenous Wesker cutting off their escape route. Just the dark skies and poorly lit back streets that 4:25 am usually brought. Apparently, Leon held the same concerns.

"What the hell?"

"Something's wrong… he would never let us just ride out of here like this"

"So what should we do? Maybe he's following us, or perhaps it's some kind of trap?"

What else could they do? It didn't take a genius to figure out Wesker had a plan set up here, but they couldn't exactly sit around and wait for the sun to come up and banish the shadows. Even so, that man would find somewhere to hide, so he could sit in his cosy little chair and watch as you settle into blissful innocence. He would find a way to strike at the most inconvenient time and hit them both where it hurts. That was a certainty she could set her watch to. She had seen it, stood by his side as he watched and waited for you to turn your back; and the instant you did, he would pounce from the shadows, like a cobra injecting its victim with its venom before slithering back to his hiding place before you even realise you were bitten. This was the side of Albert Wesker she knew best, and the one thing she feared most in this world.

"I suppose we do the only thing we can, run and hide and hope he doesn't find us"

* * *

The way she muttered that last sentence brought chills down his spine. Ada was the one person who knew him best. She was also the one person on earth he knew that had no fear of anything. She was singlehandedly the most confident, carefree and cold-hearted woman he could imagine. But to hear those words escape her lips in that melancholy, hopelessly defeated tone made him realise she was only human, just like him.

_Albert Wesker, I'm not so sure of…_

They sped down the seedy streets and made their way further into the outskirts of town. He hadn't the foggiest idea where they were, or more importantly where they were headed, but quite frankly he didn't care. All that mattered to him at that moment was that they were both safe and moving as far away from any superhuman beings as possible.

He stared into the side of her face, pale and focused on the road ahead. She knew he wanted to talk about what happened back in the facility, and of course, he wanted to know what lay ahead of them in the immediate future. He also wanted to know whether his immediate future would include Ada. They had been through a lot together these last few days, and he wanted her on his side should any threats pop their heads around the next corner, so to speak.

"Before you ask, I don't know where we're going just yet, I haven't made my mind up, and no, I don't think we're in any immediate danger. I also don't have a clue what the hell is going on, so save your breath and I'll let you know when I find out."

He turned his attention back to the road; his senses on high alert from the eerie silence ever since they broke the surface. He knew just as well as she did that something wasn't right. Not right at all. He decided to just keep his eyes peeled for any trouble for now – they could talk things over when they reached a safer location.

"I never said thank you"

She broke their silence after a few minutes. Perhaps she grew tired of the ever-expanding pit of unresolved feelings between the two of them, perhaps she had returned to her usual self after their latest escapades, or perhaps she was like him in the sense she couldn't stand the sound of silence.

"For what?"

"Saving my life, I guess. For never giving up on me. For rescuing me when I needed rescuing."

"Hmph, sure you're not missing anything out?"

"I'm sure I am. Well, thank you for… everything you've done for me. For these last six years."

Leon almost couldn't believe his ears. This was the proudest woman in existence, showing her gratitude to him, with a softness to her voice he had never heard before, and a slight hesitance he had never experienced from someone that oozes confidence such as she. Still, it was nice to be appreciated. Not that he wouldn't do it a dozen times over if he needed to – she was his soul mate after all.

"My pleasure"

For the rest of the journey, he stared out the window at the dim glow of the streetlights as they whipped by, staring at nothing in particular, trying to hide the grin stuck across his face like a pre-teen schoolboy.


	21. Epilogue – The Promise

"What are you thinking?"

It was a beautiful night. Even though they had been through possibly the biggest ordeal of their lives, she was overcome with peace and tranquillity. Maybe it was the stars winking at her kindly from the deep blanket of black that was their sky. Maybe it was the way the wind softly whistled through the open window, bringing a cool breeze that made her skin tingle ever so slightly. Or maybe it was because she was laid in a bed with Leon Kennedy.

His arms were wrapped around her, shielding her from the harshest of the cool September night breeze. She gazed into the pattern of lights above her through the small skylight, not particularly thinking anything, not particularly feeling anything. Just lying there, enjoying the view. Her fingertips absently grazed along his forearms with the lightest of touches, making the tiny hairs on his skin stand on end.

"You haven't answered my question"

His voice was soothing to her, like a lullaby to a newborn baby. It was then she realised she was very, very tired.

"To tell you the truth handsome, I'm not thinking a whole lot right now. Just that I want to stay like this until I fall asleep, and then never wake up"

She felt him smile, the silent sound of his grin from within the tresses of her hair. He exerted a sound that she knew was happiness, but she could not explain why.

"Why's that?"

"Cause I'm scared I might wake up and realise this was all a dream"

In truth, she could have stayed like this forever, and never fell asleep, if she weren't so damn tired. Her eyes had been feeling heavy since they had pulled over and checked into a quiet little motel they had spotted from the empty highway. It had been past 4 am when they had finally pulled over. It took them all morning to dump their current vehicle and find a suitable one to Hotwire: (She felt bad of course after all Mercedes' don't come cheap) but it was important that they find another mode of transport to eliminate trackers. She had a feeling that Leon had been tired too, seeing as though they hadn't eaten, drank or even spoke since checking into their room. They entered, dropped their things on the floor and wandered hazily over to the bed.

"So what now?"

It was a good question and for once in her life, Ada found herself in a situation where she had no idea what would happen next. There was nothing in the world; no contingency plan, no back-up or escape plan, no amount of foresight could have prepared her for what happened to them tonight.

"I think we should just go to sleep for now, and when we wake up tomorrow we can let fate decide where we go"

There was a moment's silence between them, then a long exasperated sigh from Leon.

"I think that's the best thing I've heard all day"

She reached over and switched the bedside lamp off, plunging the room into darkness. The only source of light was the diminishing glow of the moonlight through the dirty net curtains. It would soon be dawn; she could already smell the early morning dew from the grass outside.

"Sweet dreams handsome"

"They will be"

She closed her eyes and let out her breath in one long sigh. She felt totally at ease and relaxed, with the arms of the man she loved wrapped around her.

_What are you doing? You can't go to sleep; if he wakes up in the morning and you leave with him it's going to cause trouble for you both, and you know that._

But we can protect each other, can't we? Surely if we're careful enough we can avoid getting noticed, we can cover our tracks. We just have to keep moving.

_But what happens if you get sloppy? What happens if they find you anyway? If they find out you're together they will do whatever it takes to use him against you, just like what happened in there today. Do you really want to put him through that again?_

I know how to get rid of his goons, they are no problem. Besides, I won't let them get to him, and neither will he. He's not exactly some useless child who can't even tie his shoelaces without help. He can handle himself. Plus, we make a pretty good team.

_But you can't count on contingencies. They know you have feelings for each other now, and the organisation will find a way to bring you down to their level. Even if you don't co-operate, there is no guarantee you can both stick together and keep your guard up 24/7 because if you do, even for a second, they will exploit it. Besides, what about the agency? You plan to just run away and abandon your employers? They will be sending people out looking for you too. And if they found out you were in cohorts with a government agent... well, they would defiantly think something fishy was going on._

Her subconscious battled with her long through the night, her head saying one thing but her heart begging another. Her soul screamed for happiness and she knew she would find it with Leon; however short-lived it may be. But it was not worth being so selfish for. There's a time and a place for romance, and this isn't it. There was only one thing she could do, and it broke her heart to do it to him yet again, but there was no other way.

Finally, she decided she had to do it now, while there was still the cover of darkness. Leon slept soundly beside her, his soft, sweet breath in her ear, soothing like calm ocean waves. Quietly she sat up, tiptoed over to where she left her things and began dressing. She pulled on a black pair of combat pants and a short-sleeved black t-shirt, fastened her harnesses to herself and equipped her knife, handgun and grapple gun. Most of their equipment was still outside in the trunk of the car. She fumbled around silently for the handle of her duffel bag, found it, and heaved it over her shoulder. She took one last look at his sleeping form, silently wishing him goodbye, and hoping this wouldn't be her last chance to see him.

_You sure you wanna do this Ada? This is really gonna break his heart; he may never forgive you. He will probably do something stupid once he realises your gone. Get himself killed even._

Shut up! She almost whispered aloud to herself. This has to be done, just walk away and find another place to hide out, once your back at the agency you can keep tabs on him from there and make sure he doesn't try to follow you or do some other stupid hero bullshit.

_Then stop staring at him and get your ass in that car._

She never was one to abandon reason, but it took another minute to persuade herself to leave. She shut the door quietly behind her, hefting her bag back onto her shoulder. The sun was already starting to break the horizon; she had to move fast if she wanted to get somewhere safe before daylight. She treads carefully on the path so her boots did not make too much noise. She threw her bag on the backseat and went to open the driver side door when something grabbed her arm...

* * *

"Enjoying an early morning stroll are we?"

Her face showed the slightest hint of surprise, but soon doused that fire when she saw who was speaking.

"Actually, I felt like going for a drive. Is that such a crime?"

"Only when you're taking a 9mm and a combat knife"

Her eyes soon lost their humourless expression and became glassy and uncaring. She practically looked right through him.

"Look, I'm sorry I woke you, but I have to go, trust me, it's for your own good. Now, do you mind letting me go?"

She nodded to her right arm, the one he still held firmly in his grasp.

"You're not going anywhere until you explain yourself"

"I believe I have nothing to explain. Now go back Leon, or you'll freeze out here"

He wore nothing but his old blue combat pants and a thin navy undershirt. He was already shivering.

"I'm not going anywhere till you tell me why you're leaving - again. Did you not mean what you said last night?"

Her eyes softened, and her stance loosened as she relinquished herself to the inevitable conversation.

"Look, I didn't plan on it ok; it's just something that I have to do if I want to protect both of us from him. Besides, what am I gonna do, just abandon the agency? They have people too; they would report me MIA and send agents out looking for me. They know I was with you, they know all about you. They would be looking for you too. And I couldn't let that happen"

"You still haven't answered my question, Ada"

He glared at her intensely, begging her to give him the only answer he truly wanted from her. Not even a promise of things to come, just proof that she truly does love him.

"I want to hear you say it. I want to know whether you lied to use me for your mission, or if you really do feel the way I think you do."

He let go of her arm then, allowing her to take a step back if she wanted to. Giving her the chance to run if she felt like it; hell it would spare him from hearing the truth if it was going to hurt as much as it diode the first time. Instead, she took a step forward, running her hands through his messy hair and looking straight into his eyes.

"You think I'd rather run off and do missions the rest of my life? You think I should just stay here because I have feelings for you? I can't do than Leon. I'd hate myself if I took that path and then something happened to you, or even one of your family or your friends in the STARS unit. I just can't allow myself to be that weak and selfish. I have to be strong for both of us because I have a job to do and I won't be coming back until I finish it."

"I know, I'm not asking you to stay. I just want to know if you love me as much as I love you"

She seemed to hesitate for a second, before leaning forward and planting a long, soft kiss on his lips that made him tingle all over when he closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he could still feel the ghost of them on his own, alive and buzzing with electricity. It was one hell of a kiss.

"Now I don't have to say it."

"I didn't expect you to"

He knew what he should have said to her; how there were ways the government could help them if she would co-operate, how there were so many crimes he could arrest her for now if she chose to leave, how it was his duty and his right as a law enforcer and a patriot to apprehend her for the crimes of betrayal she had committed against this country, yet none of that mattered to him. All the important issues that should have made his decision so easy – should have determined his actions in the next five seconds if she were any other person in the world. But in his mind, he couldn't stop thinking about how beautiful she was. How determined and brave she was. How she was so fiercely confident in herself and her abilities, it made him fearful of what would happen if he ever were to end up on the wrong side of her.

His brain swam with images of her lips in the second before she kissed him; the way her eyes flashed with excitement and embarrassment once she opened them, how she leaned in so tantalisingly slow it felt almost deliberate. He figured he must be under her spell because such feelings of love did not exist in the world unless afflicted upon him by magic or sorcery. She stood before him, this beautiful woman, and noticed her steely gaze as she tried to bore into the depths of his mind, trying to hear his thoughts telepathically – and he understood that she was going, whether he tried to stop her or not.

"You had best be going then, Miss Wong."

Her jade green eyes widened with a slight surprise, then narrowed as she tried to determine whether this was some sort of trick; reverse psychology maybe. But he continued.

"I don't know when we will meet again, so I'm going to say this. I hope you come back to me one day, no matter how far into the distance. I'd like to see you again."

"I have no doubt you will handsome" She purred into his ear, her lips so agonisingly close he could smell her breath on his unshaven skin.

"That's a promise" she whispered, her voice almost lost with the increasing wind, heard only by him, a secret that was to be locked away in his mind forever, never to be forgotten as long as he lived. He would see her again someday... he was sure of it.

He leaned forward and brushed the hair back out of her face, cupping her pale cheek as he kissed her softly once more.

They did not say goodbye with words, only with their minds, and they knew it was not forever. Only until next time, however long that may be. That was a promise, one that he intended to keep.

* * *

The night sky darkened further, blacker than the deepest abyss – the highway empty apart from the streetlamps in the highest point of his vision, and his own headlights guiding the way. It was very late at night (or was it early in the morning?) He wasn't sure, he had been driving for hours, the familiar cramp on the bridge of his right foot as he kept the same pressure on the gas, maintaining his speed and being cautious not to let his mind stray. He grew very tired very quickly, he had been searching for weeks with no luck and his patience was starting to strain. However, he was a very patient man, and good things always come to those who wait. So wait he shall.

There are only so many hours a person may function without sleep, food or water, and for the best part of three weeks now, he had indulged in little of either. He was a patient man, however, and sooner or later he would get what he came for. In the grand scheme of things, he believed himself to be a mere player on the board, nothing more than a pawn of society; yet with this particular piece captured, many things in this world were soon to change.

He straightened his rear-view mirror, checking his greying complexion with dark, sagging eyes, and decided perhaps a little rest was in order. This particular piece can wait one more day, for he was a very patient man.

He relieved pressure from the gas pedal, turning on his right signal for the upcoming exit when a set of headlights flashed in his rear-view mirror. He re-adjusted it, squinting against the sudden glare of the full beams, his right blinker still flashing even though the exit was now passing. He recognised the vehicle almost immediately and made a sharp u-turn across the lanes. The vehicle in question broke harshly, making a large curve toward an upcoming exit, stepping on the gas with a hiss and screech of tires that echoed down the long empty tarmac. It was her alright.

Soon enough he caught sight of her vehicle once more, her visibility now almost zero in the dark backdrop of the night sky. He pursued her onto a curving lane, a three-way split deemed him bemused for several seconds before picking the left path. She was a clever girl alright.

However, there were only two possible choices she could have made, as the northernmost path eventually let out onto the same road as the left turn, although with a few more bends along the way. The right turn would lead back towards the highway, a well lit, straight open piece of road... a very bad choice for an escaping criminal.

His logic proved sound, as he parked lengthways across the north exit, the approaching vehicle running right towards his trap. He waited by the side of the road, crouched almost completely in a sort of ditch, the trees and bushes providing plenty of shadows as he waited for the inevitable pop. It came soon enough, the face of the driver in an exuberant grimace as she skidded roughly to a halt. He knew he had her trapped, he had blocked the only possible escape route and she would never make it to the other end of the road, a stretch at almost a mile away. After what seemed an eternity, she finally sprang from the car. Her posture ready for an attack that would not come, for he was opposed to violence unless absolutely necessary. She had a weapon drawn, various sheaths across her body indicating she was well armed and dangerous. She was audacious as he had thought it appeared.

He arose from his hiding place and drew his own weapon, feeling if she was as the reports portrayed he may indeed have to use it.

"I suggest you get back in the car, hands on the wheel, facing forward"

"Who the hell are you and what do you want with me?"

She was bold and straight to the point; her feminine raspy voice almost seductive in her threats. Perhaps this was what they meant by 'alluring and provocative charms'?

"I suggest you do as I say, my dear, I do not wish for violence but if you leave me no other choice I will show you what I am capable of."

"I'm not doing anything until you tell me why you're pointing a gun in my face or why you tracked me down in the dead of night"

She spoke in such a calm manner it almost alarmed him; she had clearly been in this situation many times. Not a surprise in her line of work. He fired a warning shot toward her left, hoping she would do the smart thing and allow him to get close enough before executing an attack.

"If you get in the car and do not move I shall explain everything. However we need to get out of the open and move somewhere more secure, I do not like eavesdroppers as I'm sure neither do you."

There was reluctance in her stance, her weapon dropped slightly before lowering altogether.

"You're not one of them then? Who are you working for?"

"I work for no-one dear girl. I have something I would like to discuss with you, however."

He was close to her now, close enough so that she could see his face. He tilted the brim of his trilby hat upwards so she could see his face. He then nodded toward the gun in his left hand, tossing it gently to the ground. She reluctantly did the same, a grin spreading on his face as she did so. She had some common sense about her at least. None of this fire first ask questions later malarkey.

"Now, I want you to step inside my car, please. I have much to discuss with you."

"Tell me what this is about and I will."

"For starters, I want to share some information with you about a project I'm working on. One that concerns you and a certain individual by the name of Leon Scott Kennedy, amongst others."

He knew the name meant a lot to her, the significance never registered on her face, however. She had a perfect poker face.

"Why should I go along with you? I don't even know who you are"

"Because Miss Wong, I can offer you something in return for your services."

She said nothing, yet her expression openly feigned interest.

"What can you offer me that I don't already have or need? I have everything I could possibly desire and want for naught. My employer is extremely powerful and has people in places you can only imagine. So tell me, stranger... why should i trust you?"

"Because I know where his family is, Miss Wong. And if you co-operate, I can give them to you..."

_To be continued?..._


End file.
